The Thrill of Control Darkiplier x oc
by Jericho Andromeda Winters
Summary: A college girl by the Name Jericho Winters leads a normal life as a music education major in new york city. But things start getting weirder when she meets the dark side of her favorite youtuber. She suddenly finds that nothing is as it seems in her supposedly normal life as she is caught in the middle of an epic battle between light and dark that hinges on her. Mature warning.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1: saved by a shadow

"Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up, and after a while you don't have the strength to fight it."

-George R.R. Martin, "A Game of Thrones"

I trudged down the sidewalk in the miserable cold, hood up, head down, and gloved hands jammed tightly into my jacket pockets as I walked as quickly as possible to get home out of the stinging open air. The harsh winter wind pelted snow into my face, pinching my ears and nose and making my eyes water as I waded through the slushy mess of ice that coated every inch of New York's irreparably filthy streets. I was only bundled in a turtle neck and hoodie; I'd given my foot-length insulated overcoat to a homeless lady earlier that day. Although after walking four city blocks at nearly midnight through this hellish wind in the negatives, I sincerely doubt that _anything_ would have kept me adequately warm. I gritted my teeth and groaned in consternation as I realized I still had three more blocks to go.

I should probably introduce myself now, before the story really gets started.

My name is Jericho Andromeda Winters, Twenty-one years old yesterday, though I was nineteen at the time this mess started. I have my parents, Dr. Michael Winters and Professor Julia Winters, to thank for the moniker. I've been attending the Manhattan school of music as a music education major for four years now, since I was seventeen. Both of my parents actually teach there, my dad being the head of the instrumental department and my mom being the head of the choral department. so aside from having earned an impressive number of scholarships on my own (if I do say so myself), I save on living costs. BUT, that doesn't mean I have it easy. My parents have hardly ever helped me out except to give me a roof over my head. _"You've got to learn to grow up on your own,"_ they told me. So, I pay for my own food, clothes, textbooks and classes (loans abound) and car.

Anyway, now that we're all good and acquainted, let's jump back into my story. The money/car situation is actually what led me to the shit storm/snow storm I was in that night. I had bought myself a shitty 2002 Honda accord on my eighteenth birthday to save money. Seemed like a great idea at a time! But who'da thunk that a thirteen year old piece of vehicular _garbage_ would break down when I most needed it? Not me, obviously. My phone, of course, was out of power. Smashing. And so there I was, braving the journey home from the theater on foot. _"IT"_ was definitely not worth it. My sincerest apologies to Stephen King. I cringed as another blast of wind slapped me in the face.

' _Two more blocks,'_ I told myself, _'Just two more blocks to home, push through it!'_

As I put on shaky foot in front of the other, I began to feel... uneasy. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and not just from the chill. I had an intense feeling that I was being watched or followed...or _hunted_.

Unnerved, I stood still for a second, lifting my head slightly and squinting against the wind to peer around the frozen pavement. I noted that the streets were strangely empty, even for this weather. After seeing nothing else out of the ordinary, I shrugged it off and continued walking a little faster.

By the time I had just one more block to go, it was dawning on me belatedly that attempting such a lengthy trek in this weather was a colossal mistake. Most of my body was numb, making it difficult to move except for the involuntary tremors that shuddered through my body. I had to grit my teeth to keep them from chattering. My head hurt terribly, and I was beginning to feel dizzy. I knew the source of my agony was most likely hypothermia. _God,_ I never thought this would happen to _me..._

 _'I hope that lady I gave my jacket to is okay.'_

It might have been in my head, but it began to feel exponentially colder, the temperature dropping further and further below zero with each step. The strange feeling was ever-present, getting more intense as the seconds ticked by at a crawl. By the time I was half a block away from our apartment, I was scared out of my wits without even knowing why, moving as fast as my stiff limbs could carry me; as weak as I was, I could barely muster up a light jog.

I came within fifty yards of our complex when I was suddenly struck with a bout of extreme vertigo. I stumbled to the side, slipping on the ice and falling painfully to the frozen sidewalk. my clothes were promptly soaked by the slush and snow, automatically making my situation ten times worse. The ice began to feel like fire, searing every inch of my skin-the parts I could still feel, anyway.

I briefly struggled to get up, but found I could hardly move at all anymore, aside from the violent shivers that wracked my body. I just let myself lie there.

 _'Just for a second,'_ I thought, _'Just to catch my breath. I'll get up in a couple seconds.'_

I knew I was lying to myself of course; I knew good and well I wasn't going to stand back up. If my jaw wasn't locked I would have laughed bitterly at my situation. It was so frustratingly cruel: I'd come so, so close to safety, only to fall just short of its reach. It was over. I was dead and I knew it.

After a few more moments, I couldn't even think anymore, my mind becoming as numb as my body. I felt as if I was floating... My vision was getting blurry... My eyelids were getting heavy... my eyes began to drift close... I was so, so sleepy...

And That's when I heard them.

 _Footsteps._

My eyes shot open in alarm as they approached with a slow, deliberate tempo, the murky snow crunching beneath each measured step. The surrounding streetlamps began making disturbing static buzzing noises and flickering on and off erratically, adding an eery The stark terror that overtook me mere minutes ago came back full force, Pumping adrenaline into my frozen veins to keep me awake. After what felt like hours, the footsteps finally stopped right next to where I lay prone on my side. They were behind me, so I could only see them out of the corner of my eye. I just lay there, eyes wide and breathing heavily, scared out of my mind.

I heard the figure sigh as I saw them crouch down in my peripheral vision. I could tell from the way the sigh sounded that he was a male. The man reached out and softly brushed some of my hair out of my face, wet and matted from the unforgiving weather. After observing me for a few more moments, he sighed heavily again and reached out to pick up my limp form, holding me against his chest with one arm under my knees and the other supporting my neck and shoulders. My head lolled weakly onto his chest. I looked up at him, but his face was hidden deeply in the shadows of the malfunctioning streetlights.

I felt him start walking and wondered vaguely where he would be taking me. As darkness began seeping into the edges of my vision, I couldn't quite find it in me to care. Just before I passed out, I felt his chest rumble along with a deep, smooth voice:

" _Foolish little girl_..."


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2: More Questions Than Answers

 _"In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself within a dark, dark wood where the straightway was lost." -Dante Alighieri_

I woke up slowly to a feeling of blissful warmth and security. Stretching languidly, I discovered that my body was extremely sore, like I'd run a marathon the day before. I yawned and opened my eyes, blinking and smiling sleepily at the familiar sight of my bedroom.

Then it all came back.

I shot upright in bed in a panic, so quickly that I saw spots in my vision. Everything came rushing back all at once: My car breaking down, the storm, that man...oh God. _Oh God,_ I came so close to dying. In a daze, I laid back down and pondered last night's events for a moment.

 _'Maybe... maybe it wasn't real. Maybe I was dreaming. Was it a dream? It was so surreal._ '

As I was ruminating, my mom walked into my room carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup and a glass of ice water. Her face lit up in pleasant surprise when she met my eyes.

"Heyyy, you're awake! Good thing too, I was about to go buy an air horn," she said, smiling and giving me a cheesy wink from behind her spectacles as she set the tray on my bedside table.

I mustered up a weak smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "I believe it."

She plucked a thermometer off the tray and plopped it in my mouth without warning. "You had quite a fever this morning, Jer. We were so worried! It was a hundred and one fever, sweetie. you were practically delirious." I raised my eyebrows at this; I didn't remember any of that. I must have been in really bad shape this morning. she checked the thermometer when it beeped. "okay, just ninety-nine. "You, Missy," she said whilst peering at me over the rims of her spectacles, "Are more trouble than you're worth. I'll have you know I missed my morning classes for you."

I felt a bit guilty for that; I knew how seriously she took her job. "sorry, mom."

She booped my nose and grinned. "It's what mommies do. You gonna be alright from here? I have an afternoon concert rehearsal, but I can stay if you need me."

I shook my head and motioned towards the door. "Nah, I think I can manage not to die for the next couple hours."

"Alright baby, just call my work cell if you need me, okay? And make _double sure_ you email your professors to let them know you're sick! You know how is especially," she said.

"Will do," I called as she bustled out the door.

I grabbed the bowl of soup and sat back against the headboard of my bed. By this time I'd realized that last night was definitely real, because I didn't remember actually getting home or parking my car. It didn't matter if it was a traumatic experience or not, I couldn't pretend it didn't happen.

I wouldn't have had any trouble believing it if it wasn't for that man. The sheer, unadulterated terror that came as a prelude to his appearance was horrifying. I knew then for certain that he was the source of that terrible aura. That feeling alone had made everything seem so surreal, like an especially vivid nightmare. That's probably why part of me thought it didn't happen. Also, I didn't remember anything after he picked me up. Was he the one that brought me home? And if so, how did he know where I lived? THAT was troubling.

I sighed heavily and put the soup aside. It was beef and veggies, my favorite. I'd only eaten a couple bites, but I had completely lost my appetite. I looked at the textbooks on my desk and grimaced. I didn't feel like studying at the moment either.

No, I knew exactly what would cheer me up.

I leaned over and pulled my trusty laptop out of my bedside table drawer with a grin. The internet was always there when I need to kick back, turn off my brain, and waste some time.

I decided to surf the YouTubes for awhile. As always, the first thing I did was check Markiplier's channel to see if anything new had popped up. He usually uploads at least two videos a day, so he's a pretty reliable source of entertainment. I felt like I was in the mood for a laugh, so before I looked at his recent uploads, I watched some the whisper challenges and try not to laugh challenges that I never got around to watching. Sure enough, within five minutes I was laughing my ass off as Mark, Tyler, Bob, and Wade made goofy fools of themselves. This was why Markiplier is my favorite; he was always bright and fun in a way that was infectious.

As I was wiping away the small tears from laughing so hard, I finally went to check out Mark's new uploads. There was only one video for that day, uploaded at Twelve o'clock sharp, just an hour ago. It looked kind of weird. The thumbnail was just blacked out, and the video was titled simply, 'HELLO,' in all caps. I shrugged and clicked on it, thinking it was probably another indie horror game that mark picked out.

The second I clicked on it, my computer blacked out completely. It remained that way for a couple seconds... and then went completely batshit. I stared, confused and a little frightened, as the screen flashed a multitude of colors and flashed words and images too quickly for me to process. It was like the entire internet was trying to stuff itself inside my monitor at the same time. overlaying the mad glitching was what sounded like hundreds of voices, whispering, shouting, laughing...

I quickly jumped out of the bed, almost falling, leaving my laptop on the covers and backing away. All I could do was stand there, entranced, as my computer was... doing WHATEVER it was doing. The voices and Images abruptly stopped, leaving the screen black and plunging my bedroom into an eerie silence. The only sound was my breathing and the ever present bustle of the city streets outside.

Suddenly, every light bulb in the room suddenly exploded violently, sprinkling thin little shards of glass everywhere and causing me to scream. I was left in a silent, pitch black room. Absolute stillness. I both I and the city held our breath. Everything was absolutely quiet.

Suddenly, my laptop turned back on. It was a blue screen. I heard clicking noises coming from the computer and crept closer slowly to see what it was. I gasped in horror as I realized that THE KEYBOARD WAS TYPING ITSELF. I watched the edgy white text appear slowly on the screen, about a letter per second:

 **O**

I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I could barely draw a breath. I was being suffocated by the same toxic aura of fear that plagued me last night. The keyboard began clicking again as more words appeared on the screen, at normal speed this time.

 _ **It's polite to**_ **respond when someone greets you, Jericho. where are your manners?** '

I stared dumbly at the computer for a moment before slowly walking towards my bed, kneeling beside it. I start typing back with shaking fingers.

 _Hello?_

 _ **There now, that's better.**_

 _Who are you?_

 _ **I'm not important; I think you are a much more interesting topic of conversation, little Jericho.**_

 _I'm not little. and what's so interesting about me?_

 _ **Oh, I could make a list. But I think the most interesting thing I've seen from you most recently would be the sheer stupidity and total lack of self preservation that you displayed last night. that stunt you pulled could have ended far, far worse for you had I not been there.**_

'So I _AM_ talking with the man from last night,' I thought.

 _Why were you following me?_

 _ **Never endanger yourself in that way again, Jericho, or I will have to come and take you someplace that I can keep you safe.**_

 _You knew where I lived, you took me home. How long have you been watching me?_

 _ **It may make you uncomfortable to know.**_

 _Please! Who are you, what am I to you?_

 _ **I'll see you soon, Jericho.**_

The computer went dark again before going back to Markiplier's home page. The 'Hello' video was gone. I stood up and closed the laptop, not even bothering to turn it off before I did. I silently placed it back in its drawer, my movements mechanical. I felt even weaker than before. I pulled back my bed sheets to climb back in bed when I saw something that made my heart stop.

There, on my pillow, was a single black rose. Attached to it by a red ribbon was an elegantly hand-written note on what looked like old parchment paper. I picked it up with shaking hands and read.

 _ **Get well soon, little Jericho.**_

I barely slept a wink that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

" _ **If you think you are free, there is no escape possible**_."

- _ **Ram Daas**_

I was floating. There was nothing around me but blackness, nothing to smell or taste or feel. It was so silent that I could hear my own heartbeat.

I opened my mouth to speak, to fill the void with something other than silence, only to find that I was mute. But even if I could speak, what would I say? My mind felt sluggish and numb, making it hard to even form a coherent thought. So I let myself go, just floating away in empty space, with an empty mind and a useless body. I dissolved, piece by piece, into the void around me, slowly becoming part of the great nothing that surrounded me. I was disappearing, and I couldn't bring myself to care.

Suddenly, I felt a strong hand wrap firmly around mine. The sensation was a shock; it felt so foreign that I wasn't even sure what I was feeling. As I watched, an arm appeared above the hand, then a leg, a torso, another arm... until a fully formed man stood before me, clothed in a dark suit and tie. I peered at his face, but it was mostly hidden in a strange smoky shadow.

He smirked and gently pulled me to him, still clutching my hand. The darkness melted to reveal a million shimmering lights; We were in the middle of an empty times square. He wrapped his arms around me in a cold embrace, like ice. But compared to the hellish limbo that he pulled me out of, any sensation was a blessing.

I felt his arms tighten around me. He leaned down to lay his head in the juncture of my shoulder.

"Jericho," he murmured softly against my neck, "My Jericho...you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." God, his voice was intoxicating. It went straight to my head like a

I finally pieced together a coherent thought. "Tell me who you are," I whispered, standing stock still as he kissed my throat.

"I am... alone," he said, pulling back and gazing into my eyes. His smooth baritone voice seemed to float in the air around us. "I am incomplete. I'm fading away because my soul can't stand on its own. Neither can yours."

"I," he whispered, "I am your salvation."

" _ **And you are mine**_."

...I opened my eyes and stared up my bedroom ceiling listlessly, laying perfectly still. I silently meditated over my dream. I assumed that the man from my dream was _him_ , but this encounter was much different than the last. His mood swings of his were intense enough to give me whiplash. I didn't know what to think, how to feel. The more I ruminated over each of my encounters with _him,_ the more confused and conflicted I became; Did he deserve my fear, or my sympathy? do I run away or reach out to him? why does he need my help?

As I laid there thinking, I Gradually became more frustrated than confused. Then more angry than frustrated. ' _You know what?_ _It's not like I_ _ **asked**_ _for any of this,'_ I silently fumed. ' _Why should_ _ **my**_ _life be uprooted for a faceless psychotic_ _ **stalker**_ _who can't decide whether he's going to make nice or eat me for lunch?_

I threw off the covers and stood up with new resolve; I wouldn't allow _Him_ to ruin my mood. My life would go on, whether _He_ liked it or not. And until he decided to explain everything to me, face to face, without the smoke and mirror shit, I wouldn't give him a second thought. I glared at the black rose that I had moved to my desk last night, not knowing what to do with it. I stomped over, grabbed the rose and the cryptic note, opened my window, and promptly tossed them out.

As I started to get dressed, I heard singing coming from the kitchen. I grinned as I walked out of my bedroom towards the sound, knowing exactly what I would find. I stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling at a familiar scene that I'll never get tired of. Mom was scrambling eggs while singing an aria in a language that I couldn't quite pinpoint this early in the morning, accompanied by Dad on the violin. They loved learning duets together, and I loved hearing them. I shook off the residual unease from the past couple days and sat down to eat and listen to them rehearse, allowing myself to sit back and enjoy the easy familiarity of my home life. _He_ was the last thing on my mind.

A couple Hours later, I practically stumbled out of my music theory exam. To say Dr. Gibbs didn't hold back would be an understatement. I nearly died! The good thing was that having something to concentrate on was a good distraction from-

' _NO! don't. Even. Go there.'_ I needed something else to do, anything. I made a bee line for the practice room down the hall that held my favorite vibraphone. I was relieved to see that the room was vacant. Thank God.I chose some mallets out of my backpack and took a deep breath, clearing my mind for the performance. After that, it was just me and my music; nothing else mattered in the world but my movements along the keyboard. It's calming and cathartic; as I strike the last few notes, I bask in the the afterglow as the sound fades away to nothing.

(That ginger up on the stage is me from a couple years ago playing a piece called "Two Mexican Dances" by Gordon Stout. I wanted to use a performance of my own for more authenticity. -A/N)

I was brought back to reality by my phone ringing. I set down my mallets and looked to see who was calling. It was an unknown number. I shrugged, pressing the talk button and bringing the phone to my ear.

" **Bravissima, Jericho...** " My heart dropped at the sound of that voice, _His_ voice. " **That was** **quite a show. You look positively radiant when you're lost in the music."**

"H-How did you get this number?" I demanded as I looked around the windowless, soundproof practice room. No one was there.

He kept talking as though he hadn't heard me. **"But I'd much rather see you perform in person, though. I might even pay you a visit soon."** That made me stop short, and I froze in place. He was quiet for a moment, the only sound my erratic breathing. He chuckled darkly in a way that sent chills racing down my spine.

 **"I'm well aware of what you're trying to do, you know. Pushing any thoughts of me to the back** **of your mind, sweeping your fear under a rug, into a corner. you're Desperately trying to convince yourself that you can brave your way through this, that the threat isn't real enough to deal any significant damage. I don't think you quite understand the situation."**

 _ **"So let me be perfectly clear."**_

The world suddenly spun before my eyes as I became violently dizzy and faint, dropping the phone as my legs collapsed beneath me. The vertigo was so severe that I couldn't even move. The phone wasn't at my ear any more, but he continued in my head, each word vibrating in my skull and pounding through my entire body.

 _ **"I am in control. Both your body and your mind belong to me. There isn't a place you can hide from me, physically or mentally."**_

I covered my ears, shaking my head and desperately trying to shut him out.

" _ **You. are. Mine. Try to push me out again, and you'll sorely regret it; that's a promise,"**_ he growled.

He fell blessedly silent after that. I was currently lying in a fetal position on the floor, whimpering and holding my pounding head. Somehow I found the strength to speak:

"Why me?" my voice came out sounding embarasingly meek and quivery. He didn't answer. "why are you doing this to me? I just... I just want..." I squeezed my eyes shut.

I pressed my eyes closed, so I didn't notice that I wasn't the only one in the room.

 _ **? POV**_

After I felt I'd made my point, I fell silent. I could her her quiet sobs through the mind link, feel the pain that wracked her body, see her jumbled, fragmented thoughts clashing chaotically in her head. I felt her fear and helplessness almost as if it were my own. I materialized from the shadows in the corner of the room, crossing my arms and leaning leisurely against the wall, observing her shivering form with a neutral expression. She began to speak, her voice quiet. I cocked my head slightly to listen.

"Why me? why are you doing this to me?" she lets out a sob as a fresh wave of tears stream down her face, "I just... I just want..."

I pushed off the wall, and approach her. I crouched down behind her, much like I did on the night of the storm. "You just want what...? Jericho...?" I said softly, not bothering to use the link. she didn't even turn, didn't react to my presence at all; she was probably too exhausted from the mental beating I gave her to realize that I was no longer in her head.

"I want this to be over... please..."

I smiled despite myself. "oh jericho, I'm afraid that isn't an option for you. We are bound together, you and I. You may resent me now, but It will all make sense eventually, my dear. I promise."

I straightened up and willed my physical body to dissolve into the dark, smoky form that I used to travel through shadows. soon _, little jericho_ , I thought as I melted back into the darkest corner of the room.

 _soon._


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4: Through His Eyes

"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires."

-Shakespeare, 'Macbeth'

I laid there on my side with my mallets strewn across the ground around me for who knows how long. It's a miracle nobody happened to walk into the practice room and see me in that state. God I felt pitiful; shivering and sniffling on the floor like a baby. _This_ is what I'd been reduced to in less than three day's time. Fucking pathetic.

When I had gathered enough strength, I sat up and took a few deep, calming breaths before gripping the top of the vibraphone to pull myself up on shaky legs. I gathered my things quickly and rushed out of the practice room, keeping my head down and avoiding eye contact with anyone I passed in the hallway as I left the fine arts building. I got a lot of weird looks, but that was okay; nobody really knew me here anyway. They'd forget by tomorrow morning.

I looked over my shoulder constantly on the way to the parking garage, practically running the last couple yards to the relative safety of my car. I slammed and locked the door quickly. I felt as if I had a knife to my throat the entire way home, like someone was breathing down my neck.

After what felt like hours, I finally pulled into the parking garage across from our apartment complex. I sat there for a moment, breathing deeply and trying to pull myself together. Of course, This only worked for a couple seconds before I was once again wracked with wrenching, painful sobs that shook my entire body. I pushed the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying in vain to stop the flow of tears. I had nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. God, I couldn't even escape in my music because he poisoned that too! _I felt like I was going insane!_

It was about an hour later that I finally managed to regain my sanity and walk home.

 _ **? pov**_

I follow her all the way home, silent and unseen. I know that She can sense me though. She's one of the very few gifted individuals that can. The poor dear must be frightened out of her wits anytime I'm even near; a negative aura like mine can feel... _unpleasant_ to those humans unfortunate enough to be cursed with the seventh sense. And for someone with gifts as potent as Jericho's, latent abilities of which she has no idea...ah, she must feel so lost.

Poor, poor girl.

She parks her car in the garage across from her home. I feel a slight twinge of regret in my heart as she breaks down before reminding myself that this is for her own good. She had to know who she belonged to, had to know what would happen if she had the gall to push me aside.

But A part of me -a very signifigant part of me - enjoys playing with her like this. A part of me revels in The chase, the HUNT, the rush of being in complete control of my hapless prey...Ah, I'll never tire of the thrill. It's what i live for, and precious little Jericho is no exception. It's not like it's MY fault; I am a demon after all. I can't help what I am.

 _ **'The human psyche can be so fragile,'**_ I muse to myself as I watch her, _**'For an ordinary human, the lightest brush from a demon's mind against their own can drive them to the very edge of insanity. That's why most supernatural predators like me have a mostly human-based diet. It's truly a wonder that those monkeys survived this long, being at the very bottom of the paranormal food chain.'**_

But THAT is the very reason that Jericho is so extraordinary: her brilliant, brilliant mind is a veritable psychic fortress that even I had trouble penetrating. A _human_ that is able to withstand a psychic onslaught from a demon without completely shattering is an anomaly, a phenomenon that shouldn't be possible. How she came to possess this power, I haven't the slightest idea. I've never seen anything like it.

 _ **'And to think I just happened to stumble upon her...'**_

My attention is drawn back to Jericho as she finally exits the car and begins to walk the rest of the way home. I slink away, deciding she's had enough strain on her psyche for now. Just because her mind is strong doesn't mean that the soul and emotions that make her human can't be damaged. I've found that the possession of a soul is one of the many things that make humans such easy prey. But then again, I wouldn't know much about souls in the first place.

It isn't as if I have one.

As I travel from shadow to shadow, I keep thinking about her. It's all I seem to do these days. I despise humans at the best of times and thirst for their blood on the worst. They were good for nothing but food or sport. But Jericho...she was special, she was _strong_. She will bend, but she will not break, I'm sure of it. I want to mold her, to push her and challenge her to reach her full potential... not destroy her. No, she is _much_ too valuable. I'll not allow her to be tossed into the same shameful category as every other disgusting ape. I need her, need her power...but she isn't ready. not as she is now.

 _ **'I need to take this slowly, bide my time. If I move this along too fast, it could be dangerous for us both. However much she may resent me now, she would soon realise the necessity of this process.**_

I smirk to myself.

' _ **Well. At the very least she will realize her lack of a choice in the matter.'**_

I push those thoughts from my mind as I reform from my black mist and crouch on the edge of a warehouse roof. There, on the street two stories below, were a pair of lovers, a man and a woman. all prettied up in a fine suit and a luxurious gown, laughing and talking as the girl leans on the man, laying her head on his shoulder as they walk.

 _ **'How cute.'**_

My mouth splits open In a feral grin that I know probably looks more like a vicious snarl. I can feel my power gathering, burning hot in my head and chest and hands. an involuntary growl erupts from deep within my chest in anticipation. I stand and sink down into the concrete roof of the building, carefully breaking down my molecular structure and converting it into the dark, negative energy that affords me smooth passage through the shadows.

It's an art, really, and a skill that I'm quite proud of. It had taken years to learn how to deconstruct my very being, to transition from physical to corporeal. It was even more difficult to figure out how to navigate from shadow to shadow, and how to use darkness as a cloak to blend in to my surroundings. The struggle was well worth it; my hard earned talent afforded me an enormous advantage over most opponents. I've only come across five other beings with this ability. it was a shame that I couldn't show it off, but any public attention I draw to myself would just create more trouble for me. I'm VERY popular.

I appear a few feet in front of the couple, savoring the looks of surprise and confusion on their precious little faces. wordlessly raising an open hand, I beckon the surrounding shadows within my reach in the immediate vicinity. They surround the couple in a hellish whirlwind of negative energy that devours any light that it touches. I watch with wicked glee as their expressions go from shock, to fear, to terror and finally hysteria. The woman screams as the shadows press in closer, obscuring the two lovers from view. I close my hand quickly in a crushing motion, and their screams are cut short as the darkness swallows them whole. eventually the shadows slow and dissipate, returning to the night and leaving behind no trace of the young lovers.

It's over.

I smile and dissolve back into the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

'Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.'

-Anne Frank

I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes as I entered our apartment; Wouldn't want my mom and dad asking questions that I had no answers to. Okay, I did have answers, but none that wouldn't land my ass in a straight jacket and padded cell.

"Hey baby! How'd your day go?" Asked my dad as he got up from his special t.v. chair (his words, not ours) to wrap his arms around me. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to breath in his comforting scent. This was exactly what I needed right now: someone to hold me and someone to hold, to not feel so alone, if only for a second. I only wished that I were really as safe as I felt with my dad right then.

I smiled convincingly as I pulled away. "It went pretty well! I think I passed my theory test. You never know though, Dr. Ikard is an ass."

Dad let out a bark of laughter at that, "yeah, Michael's always had a stick up his rear, even in his college days. Sorry you have to deal with that, Jaybird."

"It's okay, I always manage not to die. Just barely, but I manage. I'm gonna go practice, okay? I have a snare drum solo I'm working on that's _INSANELY_ hard."

"Okay, but play on your practice pad, not your actual snare drum. I don't have the nerve to deal with that noise right now," he said as he sat back in his chair.

I rolled my eyes and went to my room. Grinning, I sat on my bed and opened my stick bag, got my sticks and music out and set my pad on my lap. I raised my sticks... And stopped.

I had every intention of practicing, I really did; but as I sat there on my bed, I just couldn't bring myself to move my hands. Dammit. Dammit, _Dammit_ , _DAMMIT !_ I threw my sticks and pad to the side, shoving my music off the bed to land in a haphazard heap on the floor. I glared at the wall, since the object of my anger wasn't in the immediate area.

I _desperately_ needed things to go back to normal, for my own sanity. If that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, then I at least needed answers. Who was he? WHAT was he? Why was he so fixated on me? And the most worrying question of all...What did he plan on doing with me?

Suddenly I had a thought. He was watching me constantly, right? So maybe...

I jumped off the bed, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen out of my backpack. Not bothering to sit down, I leaned Over my desk and began to write:

 _I know that you're probably watching right now, so I know you'll get this note. I don't know who you are or what your endgame is, but Please, I'm asking you: if you're not going to leave me alone, at least tell me_ _something._ _I need some sort of explanation so at least I know exactly what to be afraid of. I don't care if knowing makes it worse, I just need something to make sense._

 _\- J.A. Winters_

I finished the note and surveyed my handiwork. If he didn't want me to ignore him, fine. I'd acknowledge him directly. I didn't know if this was even a good idea; as of yet, I had no idea what the hell I was dealing with, or how he would react. At least I tried my best not to sound insulting; the LAST thing I wanted was to make him angry again. I shivered at the memory of just a few hours ago.

I crept slowly to my window and unlatched it, hesitating a bit before quickly opening it a couple inches, slipping the note out, and slamming it shut immediately. I closed the curtains and backed away from the window, sitting heavily on the edge of my bed. It occurred to me belatedly that I hadn't really needed to sign my name; he obviously knew who I was already. Unfortunately.

After about five minutes, I decided that if nothing had happened yet, it probably wasn't going to. I was stupid to think that would do anything. I sighed and got out my computer, buckling down for a couple hours of homework. I could at least do _that_.

About three hours later, at 9, I had just gotten out of a long, hot shower with my favorite pomegranate shampoo and conditioner. I towel dried my long red hair, letting it hang down my back before wrapping myself in a different towel to walk to my room. I shutting my door and going straight to my closet to pick out my pajamas, I was just about to drop the towel when-

" _Hello, Jericho._ "


	6. Chapter 6

_"Light thinks it travels faster than anything, but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it always finds that the darkness got there first, and is waiting for it."_

 _-Anonymous_

I gasped and whirled around, pulling the towel tighter around me. I looked around frantically. There was no one in the room with me, though I was sure I had just heard that...that _thing's_ voice just moments ago. I started slowly backing up into the closet, planning to lock myself in, but the door slammed shut behind me, making me yelp in surprise. I stood there, stock still and silent, clutching the towel around me as my eyes darted around the empty room. I'd never understood how silence could be deafening until that moment.

Suddenly, something small and white fell from somewhere above my head to rest at my feet. I bent down and picked it up, feeling the blood drain from my face. I didn't think it would actually... that he would really...

 _ **"I got your letter."**_

I dropped the paper at the sound of his voice, pressing myself harder against the closet door. Oh The timbre of his voice was Dark and Deep and sinister, ringing in my ears and filling my mind at the same time.

 _ **"Are you afraid?"**_

I remained frozen. He laughed softly when I didn't answer.

 **"...Of course you are. Poor thing,"** He cooed. It sounded mocking instead of sympathetic. Alright, _That_ pissed me off.

I clenched my fists and glared into the air in front of me, my fear morphing into anger. I was practically shaking with rage as frustrated tears gathered unbidden at the corners of my eyes. How _DARE_ he? _HE_ was the cause of all of this. He _KNEW_ what he was putting me through, and yet he still had the fucking nerve to tease me about it?

 _ **"Why Jericho, You look a bit red in the face. Is something troubling you?"**_ I could practically FEEL his smirk.

"As if you didn't know," I muttered.

He chuckled at that.

 _ **"Ah, so she speaks! I was beginning to worry that you'd gone mute from fear."**_

"I am NOT afraid." I growled through my teeth. Maybe if I said it aloud it would become true.

The room seemed to go completely still. The atmosphere in the suddenly felt heavy and dense, stifling me and making it hard to breathe. I felt the temperature drop so suddenly and so fast that I could see my breath in seconds.

 _ **"Is that so..?"**_ He drawled slowly.

I crossed my arms and raised my chin a bit in defiance. Suddenly, I felt a tickle on my shoulder. Turning my head to the side, I saw a huge, furry tarantula the size of my palm creeping slowly towards my face, so close that I could see the light reflect off of every single one of its black eyes. I shrieked and batted it off, sending it flying. I looked at the arm I just moved. oh God, there were two more. I looked down to see at least fifteen crawling up my body, with more on the way at my feet. I frantically to shake them off, but they just kept coming, their numbers growing by the second. I lost my balance as I tried to kick a sizeable arachnid off of my foot, falling to the floor and screaming as the legion began encroaching on me from all sides. I started to feel little pricks and then painful burning sensations all over my body. I closed my eyes and screamed as the black, tittering mass crawled into my hair and up the sides of my face and... and...

And It was over.

I was lying in a fetal position on the floor, arms clutching my head. There were no spiders. no crawling. No biting. It was as if none of it had happened.

Because it fucking _didn't._

I shot to my feet. _"_ You bastard!" I shouted, "That was you! Those...Those spiders, that was...you _made_ me see that!"

 _"_ _ **And I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the results,"**_ he purred, _ **"I already knew you were lovely, but your body, Jericho, is positively**_ _ **ravishing."**_

I looked down quickly to see that I had failed to bring my towel up off the ground with me. Blushing harder than I ever had in my entire life, I hastily snatched it off the floor and wrapped it back around me.

"You fucking-"

 _ **"Oh please, there's no need to be nasty. You had to know what would happen if you goaded me. It's your own fault."**_

I was about to dig my own grave and tell him to fuck off, but choked on my words when the temperature dropped once again. The lights dimmed as every shadow in the room seemed to breathe, to shift and pulse and grow like they were living things. It was a mesmerizing sight, almost as beautiful as it was unnatural and horrifying. I couldn't look away. I only halfway registered his voice as it echoed softly around the room, hypnotized by the undulating darkness.

 _ **"And after all, you demanded answers, did you not..?"**_

Multiple streams of silver and black mist began slithering out of every dark corner of the room, from under my desk, bed, dresser... I jumped to the side as a freezing tendril of black pitch sifted out from under my closet door and brushed my leg like an icy nip of wind. Another one moved over my shoulder before sliding down my body and continuing on it's way.

 _ **"Well here's your chance, little girl. I'm here. Ask away. But allow me to give you a piece of advice, Jericho..."**_

The lines of mist snaked their way to the center of the room, swirling together and forming into a tall pillar of shifting shadows, twisting around each other faster and faster until they reached a dizzying speed.

 _ **"A word to the wise?"**_

The shadows dissipated and faded like ephemeral smoke into the thin air, revealing...

 _ **"Be careful what you wish for."**_

 _Oh my God._


	7. Chapter 7

_"When you spend so long trapped and looking into the darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."_

 _-Sarah j. Mass, a court of mist and fury._

The shadows dissipated and faded like ephemeral smoke into thin air, revealing...

Oh my God.

 _ **"Be careful what you wish for."**_

 _Oh my God._

There, in the center of my room, was a tall, impeccably dressed man clad in an elegant black three piece suit and tie, his fine attire so out of place in my baby blue and green room it was almost comical. His posture was confident, yet relaxed; he stood tall, his back and shoulders drawn in a superior posture with his hands resting comfortably in his pockets. His expression remained neutral as he studied me impassively, giving away nothing.

His skin was the most bizarre hue that I had ever seen. The pale, sickly pallor covering his body was devoid of any color whatsoever, clashing starkly with his surroundings as if he existed in gray scale. He had black, full-bodied hair and the lightest dusting of stubble gracing his jaw, giving him a slightly rogueish air. A dark, hellish aura of black and silver rolled off his figure, pulsing and shifting hypnotically.

But the most unsettling thing about him by far were definitely his eyes, the only real source of color on his entire body. His irises Glowed a deep, bloody scarlet, while his scleras were pitch black. He lacked pupils, adding a chillingly vacant effect to his already intimidating gaze. A bit of his wavy hair fell over his face, covering his left eye partially. His outlandish eyes seemed to stare straight into my soul as he gave me his undivided attention.

Everything about him said _'danger,'_ and all of my instincts were screaming at me to run as fast and as far away as possible. I put a hand to my skull as my head throbbed uncomfortably once more. What the hell _was_ he?!

He cocked his head and smirked mockingly.

"What, nothing to say? Demon got your tongue, little girl?"

"..."

"No? Well then, if you have nothing to say, I have a few questions myself."

He began slowly walking toward me as he spoke. I had to get out of there, fast. I had never felt as trapped in my entire life as I was in that moment. My eyes darted to the door. Okay, I could make it; I was closer to it than he was to me. I counted to three in my head before making a break for it, wrenching the door open and dashing out into-

My room. I was back In my room. The door slammed shut behind me, making me jump. The lock clicked into place.

"What... what just-"

I screamed as he slammed his hands onto the door on either side of my head. I pressed my back into the wood and turned my head away, eyes squeezed shut. I trembled as I heard him take a deep, slow breath, letting it out with a deep, wolfish growl.

"Your fear feels so, so sweet, Jericho... you have no idea how tempting you are, do you? I could thrive on your essence for _months."_ He took another breath, this time leaning in so closely that I could feel his cool breath against my neck as he exhaled. I squeezed my eyes shut more and curled my shoulders in a bit, tried to make myself as small as possible.

"P-please..."

He let out a soft laugh as he ignored my plea, still trapping me between his arms. He towered over me, laying one of his forearms flat against the wall above my head and closing the distance so that there were only mere inches between us. I still wouldn't look at him, keeping my eyes shut tight.

"I'm still here, Jericho," he cooed, "Come now, open your eyes... where's that brave girl from just a moment ago, hm?"

He laid a cold hand softly against my cheek and gently guided my head to face him.

" _Open your eyes..._ "

His voice was smooth, black velvet. It was mesmerizing, hypnotic, and almost...comforting, in a way. It made me feel sleepy and calm. My trembling slowed a bit. I wanted so badly to resist, but my eyes fluttered open and I met his bloodied gaze against my will.

He grinned. "Ah, _there_ she is."

I tried to shake my head at him, to do something, anything, but it was like I had no control over my own body. I felt faint and weak, and my mind was fuzzy, like my head was filled with thick cotton. I was trapped, and I couldn't tear my eyes away. The hand cradling my face began stroking me, his thumb moving along my cheek. He chuckled darkly at my terror.

"It's only shadow paralysis dear, no need to be melodramatic. Now that I have your attention, let's get to know each other. I'm feeling generous enough to answer your queries to the best of my ability, but How about this: We'll trade off in turn, question for question, so that i get something out this too. Deal?"

He forced my head to nod. With his mind. ' _Bastard.'_

He arched one dark eyebrow. "Careful, love. I can hear everything that goes on in that pretty head of yours."

Oops.

He grinned and backed off a couple feet, putting his hands back in his pockets. "I'll start. Just answer in your head and I'll hear you. And do keep in mind that I'll know if you're lying."

 _'Then what's the point of asking if you already know?'_ I sent him through my mind.

"Because It's so much better to hear you say it. Now, first question: what is your biggest regret?"

 _'What? Why would you ask me that?_ ' I asked in confusion.

"Just answer me, Jericho."

I thought for a minute, weighing my options. I hated that he could dig into my mind like this and make me feel so naked. But I felt like he would be angry if I stayed silent, and I definitely couldn't lie. With an inward sigh, I answered.

 _'I think my biggest regret... is not being able to have more of a childhood; I graduated high school when I was barely sixteen. Now I'm nineteen and will have a bachelor's degree after this semester. I grew up too fast.'_

He regarded me thoughfully before nodding. "There's a certain burden that comes with being extraordinary. It can be lonely at the top." I hated the fact that he actually sounded sincere this time.

' _Can I ask a question now?'_

He nodded for me to go on.

' _What are you?_ '

He showed his teeth in a wide grin. "THAT'S the first thing you ask? How generic. I'm a demon, girl, The most dangerous thing to walk the earth. I prey on the weak and thrive on blood and fear."

He smirked as my eyes widened. "My turn. What do you want most out of life?"

For some reason, I didn't hesitate this time. _'To be happy. And...and loved.'_

He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

 _'What do you want with me? Why are you following and watching? What am I to you?'_

"Slow down now, that was technically three questions," he teased, making me roll my eyes inwardly. He quickly grew serious, considering his answer. I got the feeling he was trying to decide how much he should tell me.

"You are... special. You have power, Jericho. Incredible, impossible gifts. When I just happened to stumble upon you, I assumed from your aura that you were either a demon like me or some other supernatural being. Imagine my surprise when I found, upon further investigation, that the source of that potent energy was just a simple human girl..." he cocked his head and regarded me curiously, "simply extraordinary. I wouldn't dream of letting that power waste away.."

My head was spinning from the influx of confusing information as I grew uneasy beneath his unwavering gaze. Power? What power? I wasn't especially strong, I wasn't especially anything. I was just... me. After a few more moments, he spoke again.

"What is your greatest fear?"

I paused. I thought hard about it, but realized that I didn't have an answer. I had to say something, though.

 _'Dying, I guess.'_

His teeth glinted as he grinned knowingly. "How positively blase'. Come now, you're not thinking hard enough. Dig deeper, little girl. What terrifies you? What do you fear above all else?"

' _Right now? You.'_ I said snarkily.

"Cute. Besides me. Think, Jericho."

He drew closer to me slowly, once again closing the space between us 'til he was looming over me, barely two inches away from my frozen figure. The frigid shadows that radiated from every part of his being reached out and slithered over me, sliding around my body, surrounding me and caressing me lovingly. I shivered at the sensation. As one of the dark, freezing tendrils spiraled its way up my body to wrap itself lightly around my neck, He lowered his head and murmured in my ear.

" What. Do. You. Fear?"

Freed from his gaze, my eyes fluttered shut and I took in a deep, shaky breath. "The dark," I whispered brokenly, finally able to speak, "being alone. I...I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I'm afraid that no one will see me and I'll just...disappear."

He drew back and looked deep into my eyes again, the shadows receding slightly. I didn't try to close my tear-filled eyes or avoid his gaze. He cocked his head at me, staring straight through me, through my soul.

"You've tried so hard to be seen, haven't you? All these years, with all your achievements, all of your successes... but like I said, it's lonely at the top."

He stepped back, crossing his arms.

"You will only be happy when you start relying on yourself instead of others, Jericho. You Don't need them. You Don't need their attention, their pride, or their pity."

I listened intently. I was hung on his every word.

"If you come with me, I can give you everything you need, give you a purpose besides chasing the affections of your peers. Jericho, I can give you the WORLD. I can show you how to take it for yourself."

His dark essence was still surrounding me, moving gently around my arms and legs and neck. Each pulse of those living shadows shot a pleasant tingle through me, causing my body to feel deliciously warm and relaxed; my head was in the clouds, and I was almost drunk on the feeling.

"Come to me, Jericho..."

I broke free from my euphoric trance with effort, shaking my head to clear it. "What do you get out of this? You aren't offering me 'the world' out of the goodness of your heart."

He smiled. "I get you."

"I'm not just gonna let myself be used."

"Mutual benefit, dear. Now, I think you should sleep on it, and call me when you're ready. I'll hear you."

I began to get dizzy as more snaking shadows closed around me. I began to sway. "W-wait. I d-din't ask my l-last question..." I stuttered sleepily, trying to concentrate.

He chuckled softly. "Ask away, little girl."

My legs became too wobbly to stand upright, and I slid down the wall to my knees. "Who...who are you?"

"I? Little Jericho, I'm the thing you said you feared the most..."

The last thing I heard before I closed my eyes was,

"My name is dark."


	8. Chapter 8

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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""...Oh." I gave a nervous laugh. "Well, did I miss anything important?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" He scoffed. "It's not my job to tell you. The way you spend your time in this university is your prerogative, and if you decide to squander yours somewhere other than my classroom, that's your choice. Ask one of your more responsible peers to remedy your mistake for you."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I wilted, feeling embarrassed and cowed. I hated being reprimanded by . I'd actually known him since I was six years old. We had just moved to New York, and when mom and dad found out that one of their old friends from Sam Houston state was a professor for the same college we'd moved here for, they were overjoyed. and my parents were apparently close friends in college and remained so to that day. I saw him and my dad talking in the hallway all the time, and he still came to the apartment once a month for lunch. I've never understood why my parents liked him so much. I barely tolerated him, and vice versa. I mean sure, they went to the same college, but honestly, that's where the similarities end. Ever since I was little, I'd stay in my room when he came over. He had a sour disposition that always grated on my nerves, and he'd always look at me like I was the mud on his shoes. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Oh... um, okay, I'll just uh... I'll just go then," I said, keeping my head down and starting to walk around him, knowing that he'd probably be complaining to my father about what an irresponsible brat I was./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Just as I was about to pass him, his hand shot out almost too fast to see and grabbed my upper arm, jerking me to a stop. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Wha-Hey, what the hell? what are you doing, get off!" I said angrily, trying to shake free of his grip. He wouldn't budge though, and I briefly wondered why he was so strong./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I looked up at him to tell him off, but stopped. Besides his arm, He hadn't moved an inch. He was still standing exactly the way he had been before I tried to walk off, not looking at me, staring straight ahead. His face was dead serious, nothing at all like the dour, condescending expression that seemed to be his default. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"He took of his glasses and turned his head slightly, finally looking at me. just stared back with wide eyes, not quite knowing what to do with myself. it was about half a minute before he spoke./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely/em..." he muttered as he leveled his gaze at me. was that a quote?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Make certain, , that you don't venture too far into the darkness. The shadows are patient; They slither their way into your mind so slowly and silently that you are none the wiser until it's too late, much too late. Travel deep enough and you'll never find your way back."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"My jaw hung open as I gawked at him. what was he talking about? Did he know something about whatever was happening to me? Almost a full minute went by before he finally released my arm. I didn't move, not sure what was happening or what to expect. Then he abruptly replaced his glasses and began walking away down the hall as if nothing had happened./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Be careful, Jericho. There are darker days coming."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I stiffened. Never, never ever in the 13 years that I'd known him, had he ever used my name. Hearing that was almost scarier than the incident with him, with 'Dark' last night. I watched him turn the corner, out of sight. I recovered from my shock, backing up slowly before turning and gunning it down the hallway in the opposite direction. I didn't care in the slightest where I was running to. I just had to get away. Had to go anywhere but here. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"What the hell was happening to my life?!/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"? POV:/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I'm leaning comfortably against the wall, hands in my jean pockets. The girl doesn't even see me as she bolts past me down the hallway. I didn't bother to shadow shift before hand; unlike Dark, I can hide my aura without having to disperse it. He's such a bloody amateur. I don't think the word 'subtle' is even in his vocabulary. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I saw the entire exchange between her and Mikhail. I didn't know he lived in the area. That could spell trouble for me. I'll have to be careful. The last thing I need right now is to have that bloody beast on my tail again. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'So that was her. Little scrap of a thing, isn't she? Doesn't look like much. Alrighty now, let's see just what has dark so interested in her...' /em/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I stay where I am, closing my eyes and opening my mind so I could link it with hers. She wasn't hard to find with the fear she was radiating. The connection is so subtle that it would pass under the noses of even the most fine-tuned minds, yet another advantage I have over that buffoon. I'm not at all surprised to find traces of dark's signature scattered around the outer edges of her consciousness. He'd probably been watching her for months to be able to get this close to a human. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I sift a little deeper, still keeping a low profile. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Let's see... She's intelligent, A try-hard, honest, disgustingly optimistic, blah blah human things./span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;".../span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Ah, BINGO! Insecure, lonely, and way too compassionate. quite a combo. I could use those to my advantage. Oh for christ's sake, over half of her mind is just music, does she ever think about anything else?/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I start getting annoyed. I can't see anything out of the ordinary in this brat that would make her worth anything to dark. Then again, it doesn't really matter as long as I can deal the bastard some damage. I decide I'll just feed off of her and give him my regards. ooooooo, Maybe I'll let her live and leave Dark with her husk! I grin at the prospect, Preparing to tunnel my way in to feast. I'm gathering my power when-/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"...Oh./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Well now./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I laugh softly to myself, awed by the sheer impossibility of what I was seeing. Jesus Christ. If this didn't qualify as out of the ordinary, I don't know what would. I grinned./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;""Dark, you sly, sick bastard..."/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I break the link, my mind whirring as I pondered what I just saw and how I could use her. I needed to get to her before dark did, have her power to myself. I curse. Judging by the marks Dark had left, I was already months behind. I have to work fast. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I was just about to leave the hallway when something caught my eye on the ground a couple yards away. I smirked. Would you look at that.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"she left her backpack./p 


	9. Chapter 9

_"The devil's first trick is to convince you that he does not exist."_

 _-Charles Baudenaire_

I ran for awhile. It's all I seemed to do lately. Running from my own life. like a God dammed hamster wheel. while the people in the real world behind the glass that pull the strings look to me for entertainment. Look at her go! She's so dumb and adorable, she doesn't know any better, bless her little heart. How many more people were behind the glass like ? How many more people knew more about my life than I did?

I hated the fact that no matter how far or fast I ran, I'd never escape this, whatever this was. I hated the fact that I was being controlled. I hated the fact that even if the glass cage that kept me from the truth were shattered, I would be prey to the larger animals that I'd only had nightmares about. I'd be ripped apart. I hated it. All of it.

I especially hated myself for being so frightened and weak.

 _'I'm more hamster than human, I guess.'_

when I stopped, I was by a park. It was Just as well, too; calm, relatively secluded, and one of the few places in the city that the urban insanity couldn't touch. I sat down heavily on a park bench and put my head in my hands.

 _'Where's that power you told me about, huh dark? 'Cause I feel pretty damn weak right now.'_

 _"_ You are anything but weak, little Jericho."

I didn't even raise my head at his voice. I was too done with life to deal with his shit at the moment; I didn't even care enough to be scared.

"I'm not little. I'm nineteen." I said, a little petulantly as Dark lowered himself onto the bench beside me.

"Like I said. Little," He said, causing me to turn my head slightly, moving one of my hands to glare up at his handsome face. I noticed that his eyes looked normal, a deep black with normal white schleras.

"How old _isn't_ little, then? How old are _you_?"

"It might make you uncomfortable to know," he quoted himself from a few nights ago.

My shoulders slumped as I put my head back in my hands.

"Nice choice of nightwear last night. Asshole."

He chuckled, "Why thank you. It was quite becoming on you."

"Screw you," I said tiredly. "Why are you here, Dark?"

He was silent for a beat before saying, "Be careful of Michael Ikard, Jericho."

I sat up straight in shock. "Ex-excuse me?" I stammered incredulously.

"He isn't who you think he is. Your little world you've been living in up until now is much stranger than you think," He said cryptically, continuing as if I hadn't said anything.

"And I should just trust your word over his? Really. Exactly when have you given me reason to put stock in anything that comes out of your mouth?" I scoffed.

He didn't answer, still staring straight ahead. I was getting _really_ tired of people not looking me in the eye today.

"You'll need to discover the truth on your own. It will do no good for me to tell you; you'll believe your own eyes before you ever trust me. I'm confident you'll make the right decision."

He stood up and brushed off his immaculate suit, straightening it as he looked down at me. He stood there for a couple more seconds before turning to walk away. He took a few steps, I blinked, and he was suddenly gone.

I stared at the empty space that he left behind for the longest time before standing and hailing a taxi. campus was about a mile away, and I didn't feel like walking back. Luckily, I had some cash in my purse. On the way back, I realized my backpack was missing. Dammit. I must have dropped it when I was running away. I'd have to go to the student center to get it back; chances are someone dropped it there.

I had the cabby drop me off outside the building after I paid him. I went straight to the front desk where they kept stray phones, purses, and backpacks. I actually got there just in time to see a boy dropping it off. He stopped and turned when I called out to get his attention.

"Hi, that's actually my backpack, I dropped it in the music building. sorry for the trouble," I said as I took it from him, apologizing sheepishly as I slung it onto my shoulder. I gave a little wave, bidding him a nice day before turning to leave. I had every intention of getting out of there and avoiding conversation; I was the epitome of antisocial, and usually interacted with people as little as possible. No wonder I didn't have many friends.

"It's no trouble Miss, Happy to help! Jericho, right?" He had a light accent. Scottish... maybe Irish?

I halted my retreat, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. I didn't think _anybody_ knew my name around here.

"Y-yeah, that's me. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Probably not, this is just my first year here," he laughed, scratching the back of his head and looking down bashfully, "I've just heard you play sometimes in the music center. you're really good, you know." He gave me a friendly grin.

I felt myself blush, an embarrassed smile forming on my face. "Oh, um... Thank you... I guess..." I said softly as I looked down.

"Don't be modest, it's true! You're amazing!"

Having someone besides my professors recognize me was odd, but refreshing. I decided I liked it very much. I took a closer look at him. He really was adorable; He had a sincere smile with big green puppy eyes that sparkled with mischief. He was skinny and bean pole-ish, slouching his thin shoulders just a tad. His unkempt brown hair lay messily atop his head, giving him a boyish look. It suited him.

"Sorry, but What was your name again?" I asked.

His grin widened, Happy that I was reciprocating.

"The name's Sean, Milady," he announced with playful pride as he bowed grandly, "Sean William Mcloughlin the third, of Belfast Ireland."

I giggled at his absurdity. "Really?"

"Well yeah!" he said, straightening up, "Well, not the, 'The third' part. I just think it sounds cool. And I lived In Brighton, not Belfast." He shrugged.

I shook my head and laughed again. He really was ridiculous.

"Nice to meet you, Sean."

"You too. Hey, I was actually just about to go to the campus Starbucks, you wanna come with?" he asked excitedly before lowering his head shyly, " Well I mean, that is, If you got nowhere else to be?"

I shook my head. "Starbucks sounds great. Lead the way!"

He perked up, suddenly energetic again. Geez, he was like a puppy!

"Really? Alright, let's go!" I laughed as he tugged me along.

 _'I think I've finally made a friend.'_

 _ **Dark POV:**_

I watched with narrowed eyes as the boy lead her away, both of them laughing. I instantly disliked him, though I couldn't put my finger on why. There was just something about him...

I was glad that Jericho had made a friend despite myself. over the months that I'd been watching her, I'd come to care for her somewhat. I was incapable of genuine love, of course; The affection was more like she was a pet, or project. Though I wasn't afraid of punishing her if need be, I really would rather have her happy.

I turned my attention back to the boy. There was nothing out of the ordinary that I could see, Nothing strange in his aura or mind. I couldn't sense any hunter's wards or barriers either. He was, for all intents and purposes, a normal human being in all his disgusting glory. I'd leave him alone for now, but I would be watching him closely. Nothing is more important than Jericho's safety, for my sake as well as her own.

I decided she was probably safe for now. I established a connection so that I would be alerted if she was in danger before shadow stepping away.

I had other pressing matters to attend to.


	10. Chapter 10

Dark POV:

I was wandering around the mansion grounds to brood alone when I heard a pop echo in my head like a gunshot. I stopped cold. That was the sound of the wards breaking. From the OUTSIDE.

I burst into my shadows, flying at break neck speed through the gardens. How had they found us?! This was the only safe haven that i was positive would grant us infallible asylum! I couldn't let anything happen to Jericho, not her.

If she died, I went with her.

I flew into the foyer towards the ward crack just in time to see Anti and another girl disappear with Jericho into thin air with a flash of pink light. That was Miishu's aura! What in the world was that meddling witch doing here, with Anti? I heard an enraged scream accompanying their vanishment before I could unleash my own: "NOOO!" My heart stopped when I saw the source.

There was Fell, crouched on the steps post-leap with a look of feral rage on his face, eyes glowing wildly as he glared at the place The trio just left vacant. Anti was sprawled out on the black tile at the base of the stairs with several arrows protruding from his torso as he groaned in pain.

Ah. That meant that the man Signe was with was Anti's vessel. I calmed myself, knowing she was probably safe with the witch; though I didn't know what she meant to accomplish by kidnapping Jericho, I'd known the crazy Hex monger for too long to suspect that her intentions were anything but pure. Crazy and haphazard, but pure.

I still wouldn't go easy on her later, though.

"...Fel 'iikh. What happened here? What did you do?" I asked quietly.

The Demon dubbed The Angel of Death tensed and slowly turned to pin his molten gaze on me. I made sure to flare my aura, sending threatening signals through the room. Fell's teeth glinted as he shot me a sly smirk, narrowing his serpentine eyes.

"Well if it isn't the 'Blood King' himself, fashionably late as always. Apologies for the mess, the party got a bit out of hand for a bit. ANTI! Stop lazing about, it's unbecoming," he suddenly snapped with a glance over his shoulder before turning back to grin at me conspiriatorily, "You're embarrassing me in front of our...host."

I almost laughed as Anti let loose another groan, struggling to stand. He was more worm than snake.

I folded my arms. "Of all the things I could call you, Fell, welcome is not one of them. What do you want with Jericho?" I stayed calm, restraining my emotions and holding back my urge to fly at him and rip him to pieces. If we fought, we'd likely lay waste to everything within a three mile radius.

He began chuckling softly before he crescendoed into a fit of laughter that shook his thin shoulders. "Oh fuck, FUCK you're precious! Oh BAAL, you have no idea do you? You clueless fuck!"

I raised a single eyebrow in response. I wouldn't be goaded into a battle until I knew where all the pieces lay.

"And just what has a creature like you in such hysterics?"

He wiped his eyes. "The thought of your face when the pieces finally fall together. We'll be there to see you fall, king. You won't even see it coming. Anti! Let's go. Pull yourself together."

He dissolved into smoke from his feet to his head; his golden eyes were the last thing to go. Anti did the same, the arrows falling to the floor. I watched them retreat through the wall and disappear from my sight. I sighed. At least Jericho was safe. Signe was almost as powerful as me. I was peeved that she'd taken action without consulting me first, but I was thankful that Jericho was taken by her rather than Fel 'iikh and Antiok.

That witch better know what she's doing.

Jericho's POV:

We reappeared just outside of a small town that was mainly just white clay houses. I looked around, disoriented at the sudden change in location. "Where are we?"

Miishu shrugged. "No idea."

Sean was on his hands and knees, looking a bit more pale than usual. He lifted his head weakly. "Ugh... what the hell..." Miishu helped him to his feet, putting his arm around her shoulders and looking like she wanted to laugh.

"You good there, Irish? This is the second time today!" She said in a teasing, but still sympathetic voice.

"I-I'm fine, just dis... ugh...disoriented. w-what do you mean you have no idea?"

She shrugged again from under his arm. "I meant what I said. Now do either of you have a safe place we could hide out for a bit? Somewhere they wouldn't expect us to go. I'm pretty popular, so any base of operations I have could easily be compromised."

I shook my head immediately. "Yeah, Definitely not. The only place would be my apartment, and they're bound to be watching that."

"Mmkay. Okee Dokee Irish, how about you?"

Sean took his arm back and thought for a minute before nodding slowly. "I might know a place..."

Mikhail's POV:

Finally!

They had just approved my departure from the fortress. I was going insane, barricaded in that thrice damned medical wing for two days. At the very least, the souvenirs I'd acquired from my little scuffle with Dark were gone, thanks to the medic mages.

I made a beeline straight for the Vienna airport. As I'd suspected, we'd received no word from the knights that the council sent to Iraq. Why the White King would ever dream of approving such a farce, I'll never know. They were likely already dead. If I caught a plane that night to a city outside Hillah, I could be there by the time the sun rises on Iraq... But I had to hurry.

I was just exiting the cathedral that was built over the underground fortress when I heard the one voice I would never have expected at that moment:

"Mikhail. I need your help."

Jericho's POV:

"I might know a place...how do you two feel about LA?"

I looked at him blankly. "What? Why?"

Miishu just grinned and giggled. "Oooooo, I know EXACTLY where we're going!" She grabbed both of our arms.

"Oh fuck, not again..." Sean groaned.

"Hang on to your panties, Irish! Here we go!"

We appeared in front of a gigantic mansion. It was pretty posh; it had a fountain, a big pool, and well kept green grass and shrubs all across the grounds. Miishu released me and held Sean up before he could fall again.

"Did I guess right, Irish?" She grinned.

Sean looked around. "Y-yep... this is- ugh- this is the place. J-just knock on the door..."

I followed his instructions, banging on the fancily crafted wood. There was a yelp followed by loud laughter, and I heard frantic barking after a few seconds as a dog ran up and jumped on the door, popping up behind the glass window every time it jumped.

"Mark! Jesus, go get your freakin dog, she made me drop the fruit punch!" Someone yelled from inside. I heard another person laughing.

"I know, that was hilarious!" The man said as he almost sobbed with laughter. "Okay, okay, I'll get her, calm down. Chica! Chica pica puppyyyy~!" The man cooked in a baby voice as his footsteps neared the door.

"Who dat, Chica? Who'dja find, pupper?" The dog stopped jumping on the door as the blurry figure of a man showed through the tinted glass designs. The door opened, setting off a fresh round of yaps from the adorable golden retriever.

"Yeeees?" The man said with a goofy grin. My jaw dropped through the concrete.

"MARKIPLIER!?"


	11. Chapter 11

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin."

―Andre Berthiaume

 _8:00 pm, As Jericho falls asleep miles away._

"Hello... Mikhail. Or should I call you _Doctor_ now?" The shadow sneered.

"Dark," The man known as Michael Ikard acknowledged with a nod.

Dark let out a harsh laugh.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Here you stand, the world's most feared Knight and hunter, _Mikhail Icarod Vesuvius;_ The infamous _'Reaper,_ '" he growled, His distaste for the old moniker apparent.

"The very _mention_ of your name sent even the most powerful of paranormals fleeing for the hills. And look at the mighty Reaper now: stowing himself away and running from reality like a sniveling child that hides under the covers in the midst of a storm. _Coward,"_ he spat, hissing the insult.

The old Knight took his words in stride, not even batting an eye.

"Why Dark, I had no idea you cared. I'm positively flattered. You know, we haven't met in awhile; perhaps we could stop for a spot of tea to catch up on things." Mikhail's expression remained neutral as he taunted the demon. Oh, how Dark always _hated_ that smug superiority of his.

"'Awhile' doesn't even begin to cover it, _Knight._ No one has seen or heard any trace of you for _twenty years._ How you've managed to stay hidden all this time is a mystery to me. It's an impressive feat, even for a man of your caliber. Tell me, what have you been up to these past two decades, hm?"

"I should think it would be obvious, Blood King. Can't you think of _anything_ here in the sleepless city that might draw the attention of both the council and the hunters?"

Dark's eyes widened in revelation. "The girl..."

"Yes. The girl. Everything hinges on the girl. I see no point in keeping information from you that you would have inferred on your own by sunrise on the morrow," Mikhail sniffed.

"That's a sight that you won't live to see, Mikhail. Your mission, whatever it was, ends here. She. is. _MINE._ " He growled lowly, lowering his head and baring his fangs in a terrifying snarl. Shadows rose from the ground and fell from the open air, appearing from every corner of the alley as they coalesced around Dark in a violent maelstrom of hellish darkness. His insane gaze bore a chilling resemblance to the blood he thirsted for.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I've never been afraid of death, my *sometime brother.* I hope for your sake that you can say the same."

The Red Prince roared and flew across the space that separated them as Mikhail The Reaper drew a wicked dagger from his waist. Neither held anything back, matching each other blow for brutal blow long into the night.

As the night finally reached it's end, only one of the combatants was left standing. Chest heaving as he struggled for breath, he gazed blearily at the body at his feet before limping away slowly into the early morning light.

 **Jericho POV:**

 _Eight days later..._

It had been about a week since I'd had any contact with dark. The encounter on the park bench was last Wednesday; this was Thursday morning. Part of me wondered what had happened to him. Part of me didn't give a shit. But A _huge_ part of me was absolutely terrified that he might come back, dreading what he might do if he did. I prayed daily to whatever God that might be listening that he wouldn't return, that I'd never see his beautiful, terrible face again. life had gone back to normal, and I wanted desperately for it to stay that way.

Actually, that's not entirely true. My parents had left a note for me on the table the morning after my birthday that read,

 _Hey Jay bird! mommy here._ :)

 _Sorry for not waking you up before we left. We got a call last night from my sister that her husband was in a car accident yesterday morning and is in critical condition, so we're going down to Colorado to visit. We knew you'd want to go, so we didn't wake you up. I know how much you love your aunt Jennifer and uncle Benji. But, He's in stable condition now, so there's no danger. You just focus on your classes, you have_ _scholarships to keep up! Love you to the moon and back! -Mom._

Underneath mom's elegant script was a messy scrawl that read,

 **Yeah, what she said! XD**

I had chuckled at my father's antics and how he had managed to be as goofy in writing as he was in real life.

...But that had been a week ago. I hadn't heard from them since then. I tried calling and texting and even emailing, but all I got were answering machines and unanswered messages. Even more troubling was the fact that the same thing when I tried contacting the rest of my family, and believe me, I tried _everyone._

Dr. Ikard was M.I.A. as well. He hadn't had a class since he spouted all that cryptic mumbo jumbo in the hallway. That was last Wednesday as well, so he and my parents left at the same time. I preferred to think that they left rather than went missing. When I asked around, none of the students or professors I spoke to had any idea of 's or my parent's whereabouts. I even went to the police to try and file a missing persons report, but after four days of badgering them constantly, I gave up. Why they wouldn't listen was beyond me.

Sean was helping me stay sane, though. We had already become great friends, and were talking and studying together every day. He was so cute, funny, and caring. It was such a relief to have a little light in my life after all that had happened. He looked extremely troubled and perturbed when I talked to him about my concern for my parents and . I was glad to have some sympathy so that I didn't feel so alone.

Anyway, despite all the strange happenings of the past seven days, It was a new day, and I knew I had to carry on like I would any other. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. God, I hoped they were okay...

I was about to walk out of my room when I saw mom's ring glinting at me from atop my dresser. I picked it up and gazed at it thoughtfully, marveling at the way it caught the light. I hadn't worn it in a while; I'd almost forgotten I had it. I slipped it on my right middle finger. It made me feel marginally better.

Alright. Time to go.

First thing's first; I needed to make my daily rounds to check if had returned. It had become a habit:

1) His office. Nope.

2) The theory classroom. Nada.

3) The admin building. No luck there either.

Wash, rinse, and repeat. Every morning for the past six days once I'd realized something was wrong. I needed to find him, almost as much as I needed to find my parents. I knew that he had answers, that he could help. I needed to find out what he meant when he warned me about _'venturing too far into the darkness.'_ had been in the background of my life for almost fourteen years; If he knew something about the mess that my life had become, that meant that everything that had transpired so far could have been set in motion long before it influenced my life directly.

My phone buzzed suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. I took it out and grinned when I saw that it was from 'Sean Mcloughlin the third,' momentarily forgetting my problems.

 **S:** Hey Jay-plier, do you want to come to the library with me? We can pretend to study! XD XD XD

 **J:** haha Sure, I was just thinking about taking a break. What time?

 **S:** Are you free now?

 **J:** yeah! I can meet you by the tables outside the library entrance.

 **S:** Got it chief ;)

 **J:** haha see you there, Sean-septiceye :D

I put my phone in my pocket and began heading in that direction, a light bounce in my step. I really, _really_ liked Sean. He was the kind of guy you'd take home to see your parents. When they weren't missing, of course. We were even around the same age! I had to be realistic with myself though. I had been incredibly lucky to make just one friend; There was absolutely no chance that I'd be lucky enough for someone to fall in love with me as well. I walked with a little less bounce in my step at that thought.

I was shaken out of my gloomy reverie when I heard Sean call my name, looking up to see him waving at me with his mega-watt grin. I smiled back and walked a little quicker. We hugged and sat down, getting our books out even though we knew we would just be talking instead of studying. About thirty minutes in, he suggested that we watch YouTube for awhile for some laughs. I agreed enthusiastically; it had been _weeks_ since I had let myself relax. I chose the first video, one of markiplier's of course. I decided on one of the classics; outlast, one of my favorite horror vids of his.

As we watched, shrieking and giggling as we played along with Mark, I began to focus more and more on Mark's face. I stared at him as he reacted animatedly in his signature over-the-top style. What was it... about his face...?

 _'Oh no. oh God no.'_

My jaw went slack in shock as I stared in fascinated horror at the familiar face I knew so well. I couldn't hear the video anymore, just a static ringing in my ears. I felt dizzy, like I was going to faint, but I didn't. I just kept my eyes on the screen, unable to look away.

 _'He's... he's...'_

"Jericho...Jericho!" I heard a voice say through my shock. I felt myself being shaken.

"Jericho! Hey are you okay? Say somethin' man!"

I came back to myself and turned to see Sean looking at me with a confused and concerned expression. "...Sean?"

"Yeah, that's me darlin,'" he laughed nervously. "Are you... are you okay? Do ya feel sick or somethin'?"

I shook my head quickly with what I thought was a convincing smile. "Nah, I'm good, I'm probably just tired. Mind if we head back?"

"Yeah, whatever ya need," he said, obviously still worried.

We journeyed back to the campus parking garage in silence, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

 _'His face. I didn't realize it before because the way they move and act is so different, but... There's no mistaking it. I finally know who Dark is...'_ I cut off my train of thought before I could even think the name.

"Hey, we're here. You sure you're okay?" Sean said. I looked up in surprise. He was right...I guess I was too out of it to notice.

"Yeah...see you tomorrow." I said before turning to walk to my car.

Sean suddenly grabbed my hand. "Jericho, I _\- GAH!"_ He suddenly yelped in the middle of whatever he was trying to say, flinching hard and yanking his hand away from me like he'd been burned. He clutched his hand to his chest and hunched over slightly, his face contorted in obvious pain.

"Oh my God, Sean! Are you okay? What's wrong, what happened?!" I exclaimed, rushing over to see what was the matter. I reached for his hand and...

" _NO!"_ He yelled suddenly, jumping back a few feet, chest heaving. I stumbled back in shock; I didn't think Sean was capable of yelling. What was his problem?

I watched as he remained where he was, eyes closed, still cradling his hand. He seemed to be in a state of intense concentration. His breathing slowed as he gradually relaxed and opened his eyes to glare up at me from his hunched position. I'd never seen him with that serious of an expression before. For a split second, I thought I saw his eyes change color, but reasoned with myself that it was probably just the light.

"Show me your right hand, Jericho."

Something about his expression and tone told me that it wouldn't be a good idea to argue. I balked at him for a moment before raising my hand, palm down. His eyes darkened and he tensed slightly.

"Where...did you get that ring?" He asked, speaking through clenched teeth.

"The ring? My mom gave it to me for my birthday, It's a family heirloom," I explained, wondering why this could possibly be important.

He abruptly spun on his heel and stalked off, moving quickly.

"What- Hey! What's your deal?" I shouted, chasing after him. "What's wrong? Sean?"

He rounded a corner, speeding up. "Sean, please! Why are you-" I stopped short when I turned the corner.

He was...gone.

 _*When Mikhail calls Dark his_ _"sometime brother,_ _" he's saying that they were once brothers, or allies. It's Shakespeare speak for 'things between us aren't what they used to be.'_


	12. Chapter 12

_"Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception."_

― _Niccolo Machiavelli, 'The Prince'_

 **"Sean's" POV:**

 _'This evening definitely did NOT go as planned.'_

How the hell was he supposed to know that she had a God dammed DRUID RING?! Where in blue bloody hell did she even fucking get that thing?! _Christ!_ those things sting like a _bitch!_

After I got her off my tail and shadow stepped my ass out of there, I wandered aimlessly around the city, my rage growing with every step. That brat didn't even know what she was wearing on her finger! This was the first time I'd seen it on her; It was complete and utter _Dumb fucking luck_ that she chose _this particular day_ to wear _that_ charm. I'd established enough of a relationship with her to begin undermining Dark's handiwork; It was easy, with her being so pathetically attention starved and all. I had been planning to make a move that night. Shit!

 _I was so. Damn. CLOSE!_

I called her that morning with two goals in mind; to reveal Dark, and then myself. I knew when she watched that buffoon's videos she'd figure it out:

 _ **Darkiplier.**_

The link he'd established was strong, it was true; after all, he did have months to work with. But once again, the art of subtlety escaped him. He tried to base their link off of fear, working his way into her mind by crushing her barriers, bit by bit, until she would be too afraid to defy him. The only way he seems to operate is by force; His lack of imagination never ceased to amaze me.

 _MY_ way is better though; to hunt a human, you have to think like a human. Convince them you're compassionate, that you care. It takes a gentle hand to control them, especially ones like her. Unlike _Dark,_ I find footholds in the insecurities that are already there instead of barging in and making a few dents of my own, so I go undetected. Slow. _Subtle._ Feeding those weaknesses, giving them what they want... it takes days rather than months. _That's_ the way you do it.

I had revealed Dark's identity to Jericho in order to lessen her fear of the unknown, thus weakening the bond that he had forced between them. Bonds of that nature are only as strong as the victims believe them to be. That last step combined with the 'friendship' I'd built between us would have allowed me the leverage I needed to extinguish any traces of Dark's influence from her mind. I was _so sure of it._ But it had all been for nothing.

 _And I still have no idea whatever happened to Mikhail. I've seen no trace of him since he talked with Jericho last week. True, he's been out of action for a score, but I don't think he'd just up and leave._

And her parents. What did they have to do with all this? How did _they_ get their hand on a druid relic? The fact that they even had one in their possession made their disappearance way more suspicious. Were they hunters? knights? councilmen? or paranormal, like us? I couldn't sense anything from them in the brief moments I'd spent outside their apartment. The only thing of any real consequence in that house was the girl.

In any case, it was too late; she was protected. I'd missed my chance. I would get to Dark one way or another though, be it through her or not. I smirked.

 _He won't even see me coming._

 _ **Jericho POV:**_

I stayed there for the longest time, confused tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks. Why had Sean yelled at me, glare at me like that? Had I done something wrong and somehow destroyed one of the only friendships I'd ever had? I was cut off from my entire family. My parents were gone, turning my home into a simple house. Even had left, and now the only thing that I could focus on to keep me from the edge of insanity was gone too. My worst fear had come true; There was no one I could turn to, no one I could love and be loved by. I was left in the dark... Actually, Not even that. Dark had left too. How ironic.

I had nothing.

My heart hurt.

Maybe I would just disappear, like I told Dark...Darkiplier. Maybe I'd walk out into the snow again and let it swallow me now that he wasn't around to save me.

I numbly drove home, not really feeling the cold. The tightness in my chest won out over any physical discomfort I felt. I walked in the door, tossing aside my backpack, stickbag, and coats, not caring in the slightest where they landed. I started to my room when I heard a soft voice call to me from the living room. "Ms. Winters."

Oh my God. I knew that voice.

I bolted back into the living room. He was perched comfortably on the couch, hands folded atop casually crossed legs. I grinned so wide that I think my lip he was, the one and only:

 _Dr. Michael Ikard._

I'd never been so happy to see his snooty, pompous face. I laughed out loud, dashing over to give him a hug where he sat. He stiffened a bit before raising an arm to pat my back awkwardly. Poor guy didn't know what to do with himself. I pulled back, taking a breath to ask him where he'd been, were my parents okay, what did he know about Dark-

As if he could sense the inevitable verbal onslaught, he held a hand up, shaking his head slightly. "Please refrain from asking any questions at the moment. I just need your ears for now."

Ugh. Despite everything, he was still the same asshole. It sure didn't take him long to get back on my bad side, did it? But I remained silent like he asked.

He leaned back tiredly into the couch with a heavy sigh. " - _Jericho_ \- we need to talk. I shouldn't have waited this long. I endangered your life by keeping you in the dark, a choice I now deeply regret."

I looked at him in surprise, not knowing what to say. We just observed each other for a moment. I took the time to actually look at him; he was not in good shape. Oh my God... I don't know how I didn't notice before. The man looked like he'd been mauled by a tiger, for fuck's sake! His perfect hair was matted and unkempt. His suit, always impeccably ironed and pressed, was shredded and soaked with old blood stains. His pants were in the same sorry condition. I ran over and flipped on the light switch, gasping at the sight before me.

He had several major wounds that I hadn't seen in the dim light; a wicked looking scar slicing over his left eye spanning from just above his brow to a couple inches into his cheek. There were four deep gashes that looked like they were made by claws of some sort slashed diagonally from his right shoulder to below his collar bone. The marks looked like they continued behind his back. There was huge, Multi-colored bruise around his neck, like something had tried to strangle him. I counted at least ten more significant injuries as my eyes took inventory of his pitiful state.

I met his eyes again. " ..." I said slowly, "What happened to you?"

He smiled mirthlessly at me. "Like I said, ..."

"We need to talk."


	13. Chapter 13

_"Curiouser and curiouser."_

 _-Alice in Wonderland_

"But, not tonight," said, struggling to stand, "If I begin, I won't be able to stop your overly inquisitive mouth from running and keel over before I've a chance to answer all your queries." He stumbled, nearly falling.

I rushed over, slipping under his shoulder to help him limp down the hallway to our guest room, nearly stumbling with the sudden weight.

 _"_ okay, you know, I was actually concerned about you there for a second, but - _Dear God you're heavy_ \- obviously you're still well enough to have the energy _-Hey, careful, careful-_ it takes to be the fantastic jackass you are," I ground out, grunting with the strain. A rank odor suddenly tickled my nose, making me scrunch my face.

"Ugh... You _reek_."

He shot me an annoyed look. "Well I _do_ beg your pardon, . A body tends to turn a bit sour when lacking proper hygienic facilities for eight days straight, so if you'll _pardon me_..."

"Wait, _eight days straight!?_ have you been in this condition since _last week!?"_ I almost yelled.

"Quiet, girl, before you bloody my eardrums as well. I've had worse."

I felt a little queasy at what might have happened that could _possibly_ be worse than this. I thought it was a miracle he was even conscious and coherent in his _current_ state. We reached the bed finally. I slipped out from under his heavy shoulder with a sigh of relief as he half-collapsed on the bed. He looked up at me, expression dead panned as always.

"There should be a large wooden box in your parent's room under the bed. I'll need you to bring it here, if you'd be so kind," he said as he propped himself up against some pillows with a little effort.

God, was he even _capable_ of saying please? I didn't think it was in his extensive vocabulary. Despite his brashness, I went to my parent's bed in the master room and lifted the bed skirts to peer underneath. It was just like it had always been. the bed had no legs; it was just a two foot tall solid wood frame that sat gaplessly on the floor.

Right on cue, called, "Find the button on the top right bed post!"

"What _button?_ Why would there even be a button there?"

"Just do it before I have to drag _myself_ in there."

"Okay, okay," I groused, standing and feeling around the side of the head frame. I'd always loved this bed; it was a magnificent sight, expertly crafted from a handsome mahogany, with stunningly intricate designs carved delicately along the entirety of the masterpiece. I'd always thought it was exquisite, even as a little girl. I knew It was special to my parents as well, because they never, _ever_ let me jump on it or touch the headboard. They actually never let me in their room, period. If I ever got scared during the night, one of them would come sleep in bed with me instead of the other way around.

I kept feeling around the smooth design, when something shifted underneath my roaming fingers. The bed shook and rose another foot off the floor, causing me to back up quickly in shock. I heard strange sliding and light clacking sounds before a huge hidden chamber, almost as large as the bed itself, shot out from under the foot end of the bed like a giant drawer. My jaw dropped when I saw what was inside.

 _No way._

There were rows and rows of strange looking knives, swords, daggers, and something that looked like a mage's staff from a video game. I even saw a few crossbows and...wait wait wait, were those _GUNS?_ There were some weird uncut gems and outlandish pieces of jewelry of various sizes and colors, some of which bore an odd resemblance to the set I got for my birthday. I saw some stacks of paper in the corner that looked like hundreds of old book marks with some creepy looking foreign language scrawled into their off-white surfaces. Beside those was a massive leather-bound book that had to be bigger than five of my sizable textbooks put together. The tome was inlaid with the same weird language on those bookmarks where the title was supposed to be, and Cryptic symbols and ciphers were pressed into the stained leather. I was awestruck as I struggled to soak all of it in. I didn't want to believe my eyes. I'd never thought there would be a reason to ask myself this, but...

 _Who are my parents?_

"I know it's a bit much to take in, , but I really do need that box," Came 's voice from the next room.

I shook myself out of my dumb struck state. There was a large wooden crate near one of the edges of the abstrused antechamber -That must be it. I hefted it up with a struggle; it was about as big as my torso, and even heavier than it looked. I rushed quickly back to the guest room, going fast so I wouldn't have to carry it as long. I dropped it heavily on the bed, stumbling the last few steps.

"Here," I panted, "Here's your stupid box. What was-"

For the second time that night, he raised his hand to cut me off. "Not now, please. There will be time enough for discussion in the morning."

I fixed him with a withering glare, which he easily ignored.

"If you would , open the box and lay out its contents on the bed."

I did as he asked tentatively, afraid that there might be more weird, scary stuff in the box. To my relief, it was just medical supplies. Some of it looked odd, but that's all it was. When I looked back up at him, the uncharacteristic smirk on his face made my relief fade. Crap. I knew what was coming next...

"Consider this a crash course in field medic training," stated dryly.

He had me cut the tattered remains of his shirt off of his body before guiding me through the nauseating process of cleaning, disinfecting, and- oh God - _stitching_ his wounds. Stitching was the worst part. It took me a couple tries to hook it into the skin, and I had to stop several times during the gag-inducing task. When I first saw his bare torso, I was shocked. He was in impeccable shape, covered in toned muscles. He wasn't ridiculously ripped, but it was definitely an athletic physique. I'd never seen it through his suit and tweed jacket.

My patient wasn't amused in the slightest by my ineptitude. The only sounds he made were to instruct me, not flinching or letting out so much as a hiss the entire time I dug into his battered body. He was taking this better than I was. The only reaction I ever got was annoyance when my hand happened to slip or I dropped a tool.

Two hours later, I was _finally_ done. I rejoiced inwardly when he said he would be able to do everything from the hips down.

"I'll see you in the morning. Get some rest," he told me as he turned from me and prepared to finish my shoddy job.

"But-"

" . I've already told you that we will talk tomorrow. If you must know, I have to link with a contact of mine to confirm some things. I need the full story too, now listen to me for once in your life and go. To. Bed." He turned his attention back to his legs, dismissing me and leaving no room for argument. Fuming, I stomped back to my room and slammed the door, flinging myself onto my bed. My gratefulness for his presence had all but disappeared. Fuck him and his stupid, snobby face.

I noticed that my window was dark. I looked at the time. _'Oh geez, it's already nine thirty...well I guess time flies when you're confused and terrified.'_

Not seeing the point of staying awake any longer, I crawled under the covers, not bothering to get undressed. I closed my eyes to go to sleep, but ended up being thrust into another stirring round of thought-rushing. I was gonna be up for awhile. I mulled over the events of the last twelve hours. True to form, I once again had more questions than answers at the end of the day. _Sean_... what was going on with him? Had I done something wrong? Or...

Did he have something to do with all this too?

I pushed the thought aside. I could think about that later. Right now, the _last_ thing I needed was the emotional trauma of discovering that my only friend, however brief that amity was, had been a turncoat. My heart cracked a little at the notion.

But then what was that thing with his hand all about; How he screamed, how he wouldn't let me touch him, his fixation on the ring? He was angry that I had it, maybe even afraid...why? for what felt like the millionth time, I studied the dark gemstone adorning my finger, a minute or so passing as I stared it down.

Suddenly remembering that the ornament was part of a full set, I went and sifted through my closet until I found the box that the jewelry came in. I delicately removed each piece and laid them carefully on the floor in order: the head-piece, the earrings, the necklace, and finally the bracelet, to which I reattached the ring. I sat back on my heels and inspected the full set thoroughly as if that would help. In the secret chamber underneath the bed with all the other...things...there had been other rocks and charms with the same rune-ish markings as the ones decorating this set. Did that make it special? Did the reason for Sean's sudden episode lie under that bed? I desperately wanted to look, but I'd have to go through the guest room, and I didn't think would let me.

"This is getting me fucking nowhere," I muttered, gathering myself up to shuffle sullenly to my bed and into the covers. I tried my best to clear my mind; if I had a sure shot at answers tomorrow, then falling asleep was the fastest way to pass the time 'til then. I didn't really have to try that hard; I was so exhausted that I was out in minutes, my ring laying forgotten on the floor.

 _I began to dream..._


	14. Chapter 14

_"And thus I clothe my naked villainy  
With odd old ends stolen out of holy writing,  
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." _

_―_ _Shakespeare, 'Richard III'_

 _I began to dream..._

I was wandering aimlessly through the chilly lamplit city streets with no real destination in mind. I wasn't lost though; at least, I didn't FEEL lost. I was just sailing dreamily through the city, not fretting with unimportant things like how I'd gotten here or where I was going. I was happy. I took a deep breath of clean, clear air, finally allowing myself to bask in the worriless tranquility that my life had been so sorely lacking for the longest time.

Someone was walking beside me, our fingers intermingling. A man. I smiled happily and leaned my head against his shoulder as we maintained our easy pace together. It was a little cold, but I would have kept walking forever if it meant I could keep feeling like this. Suddenly, the man disappeared behind me. I heard him laughing playfully as my head is suddenly covered with warm, soft cloth; he'd thrown his jacket over my head.

"There you go. Better?" he asked as I laughed with him, pulling it off my head to slip it on my shoulders. I turned and beamed up at him.

"Yeah, I-" I stopped short, my smile fading.

No.

I blanched, feeling all the blood rush from my head so fast that I nearly saw stars. The man's kind smile twisted into a wicked smirk as he saw the recognition on my face. I took a shaky step back, shaking my head slowly.

No.

He took a single step forward, and I bolted. I was flying down the sidewalk, so fast that my feet hardly touched the ground. I didn't look back to see if he was following me, and I didn't care where I was running to.

 _No._

I glanced back as I rounded a corner. He was gone. I didn't stop though. Whipping my head back around, I slammed one foot down in front of the other, keeping my legs moving and my arms pumping. I needed to get out of there, I had to get away from-

Something dark shot out of the wall in front of me, catching me short and sending me hurtling back to the ground. I looked up in time to see a shadowy tendril disappear into the wall as if it had never been there. And that's when I heard them; _Footsteps._

I froze briefly when I realized where I was, time slowing to a crawl. That first awful night in the dirty snow, when I had stared death in the face through the biting winds... This is the place where I had collapsed.

 _No!_

I shot up and kept moving, running faster than before. He was trying to frighten me, but I wouldn't let him, I _couldn't._ This wasn't like that night, it wasn't! I could move, I could escape, I could- I screamed as a tangled mass of silver-black shadows burst from the ground in front of me, making me stumble to a halt.

 _ **"Do you remember how I said I could tell if you were lying?"**_ A deep voice murmured in my head. He let out a soft, breathy laugh that I could barely hear. I looked on in abject horror as the darkness began stripping itself away, bit by bit, to reveal something exponentially more frightening.

 _"_ **You're lyyyyiiiiing..."** He sang.

I wrenched my eyes away and took off again, running back the way I came as he chuckled darkly, his laugh ringing in my ears and mind. I could feel the dark tendrils nipping at my heels and ankles as I ran. I had made it a block and was just rounding the corner when once again, a shadow shot out of the wall, clothes-lining me and wrapping around my waste. My breathe was knocked out of me as it swung me right back around the corner and slammed me against the wall back first with my feet dangling just off the ground and my shoulder nearly hanging off the end of the wall. I hung there helplessly for a moment as my lungs worked over time. When I was finally able to breathe again, I began fighting against the shadow's hold on my waist, hitting it, trying to use my arms and legs as leverage against the wall to push away, but nothing worked.

I heard him approach again, slow, deliberate footsteps drawing nearer from around the corner, just out of my sight. His laugh once again floated through the air.

 _No._

I fought harder, gasping and sweating, becoming more and more frantic the closer the footsteps came.

 _Please no._

"Chains become you, darling. I do _love_ a good struggle."

 _Go away, go away, go away...!_

"Whatever for? We were having such fun. Didn't you like our little evening stroll?"

His voice sounded like it was coming from just around the corner. I stopped resisting when I realized the futility. My head dropped as I hung there limply, letting my tear-filled eyes slide shut in hopeless resignation.

"Good girl..." He cooed, an audible smile in his voice. I gritted my teeth as angry, helpless tears cascaded down my cheeks. I was dead and I knew it. I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

...Wait. The footsteps stopped. Everything was quiet again. I slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't see him.

I shrieked as the shadow trapping me against the wall suddenly pulsed and tightened. It split off into five more shadowy appendages, two spiraling down each of my arms to my wrists and two sliding down my legs to grip my ankles. They yanked my arms and legs back tightly against the wall, rendering my entire body immobile. The last dark tendril wrapped itself around my neck.

They all crushed me against the wall with brutal force, cutting off my breath and suffocating me slowly, bit by bit. Blackness encroached upon the edges of my vision, both my life and my will to live fading away.

It was over.

Good evening, Author and narrator extraordinaire here. I'd like to recommend a fan fiction to all nine of you who have seen mine. How the numbers have grown! The fic is called, "Mark of Darkness," by the username Wraythskitzofrenik. It is well written and extraordinarily imaginative, and has an even better story line in the romance department than my week-old work does. Go check it out!


	15. Chapter 15

_"For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art black as hell, and dark as the night."_

 _-William Shakespeare_

I gasped and Jerked awake, my hands flying to my throat. My bed was a wreck. The covers had been kicked off completely with my pillow just a few inches short of tumbling to the floor where I now lay. I must have fallen off. I sat up and leaned against my bed, hugging my knees to my chest and burying my face in my arms. I wept uncontrollably as I struggled to bring myself fully out of my nightmare. That was all it had been: a nightmare. But that didn't mean it still didn't happen, that I didn't _feel_ it. My chest and lungs still ached with the memory. I believed that it was really over, that he was really going to... going to... I grit my teeth against a fresh wave of sobs.

"Well _you're_ certainly no fun."

I froze bodily, not moving, not breathing. Even my heart stopped beating. The entire world stood till on its axis. All at the sound of his voice.

Dark. _Darkiplier._

"Why the long face? Aren't you happy to see me?"

The lights suddenly flicked on as he spoke. I remained where I was on the floor, not lifting my head. I was afraid that acknowledging his presence would make him more real. Every last bit of my fear and trepidation came rushing back to me all at once: his power over me, his cruelty, the sheer terror that I felt by just being _near_ him...I almost preferred the strangulation. But this was all I would get. This was reality. He was back. He was here. And I was as good as alone; was in no shape to handle Dark, and I wouldn't endanger him by calling for help.

My breath caught in my throat as he took a few slow steps forward and crouched down in front of me. I tried to keep still, but I couldn't stop the involuntary tremors that shook my body or the sound of my breathing.

 _'Go away, go away, go away, go away...'_

"Well now that's just hurtful," He chuckled.

He must have gotten tired of crouching on the floor, because in the next second, he put one arm under my legs and the other on my lower back, picking me up like a child and setting me in the middle of the bed, with my back facing the headboard. I squeaked a little, but still didn't let go of my knees or raise my head.

I felt the mattress sink on either side of me, so I knew that he had climbed above me and was leaning over my shivering form. After a moment, He abruptly dipped his head and pressed his cold lips to the junction between my shoulder and neck. I yelped in shock, finally uncurling. I put my hands down and leaned as far back as possible without thinking.

Bad move.

He lunged forward and pushed me all the way back so that I lay flat beneath him. I swung my arms at him as I struggled to push him off. He dodged my right hand before it hit his face, catching it in his own and trapping it above my head before doing the same with my left hand. I kicked frantically at him, but he held me down, straddling my thighs.

I eventually stopped fighting him and looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. He laughed as my body fell limp beneath him.

He grinned down at me. "There we are...it's nice to see that face again. I've missed you, you know."

He transferred my wrists into one hand and cupped the side of my face. "Those lovely doe eyes, so innocent... they look dazzling when you're afraid you know, all big and bright, shining with tears... oh, so precious." He cooed to me.

He lowered his head to once again press his lips to my neck.

"I could just eat... you... up," He growled deeply against my skin.

A wave of terror rolled through me at his words. He shuddered a bit, inhaling sharply before letting out what sounded like both a groan and a sigh.

" Oh... simply _delicious._ This is why I love these little _trysts_ of ours, dear; Nowhere, in the many years I've walked this earth, have I _ever_ come across emotions as potent as yours." He groaned again.

"Did you know that fear," he said, nuzzling his face into my neck, "Is the most powerful emotion that a human can feel? Not anger. Not grief..." He caught a tear off my cheek with his tongue.

"Not _love..._ " he wedged one of his legs between mine so that he was straddling only one of my thighs, allowing him to press in closer.

"Not Lust..." He murmured as he rolled his hips against me, making me gasp. He purred lowly and nipped at my neck, flicking it lightly with his tongue before drawing back to smirk wickedly at me from under his dark lashes, our faces inches apart.

..."but fear."

And I was afraid. I was more terrified than I'd felt in... Since the last time I saw him. But now, I was just as afraid of myself as I was of him. He was magnetic; I was doing everything I could NOT to respond, but...

"I...I'm not..."

"You're not what, afraid? Well if that's the case..." His eyes darted to my lips and back up to mine.

"... Then I'll have your lust."

My eyes widened. He grinned and leaned in close. "Demon got your tongue... little girl?"

I tried to shout my Denial, but no sound would make it's way out of my mouth. I didn't want to feel whatever he wanted me to. I didn't want him to be able to play with my emotions like he did, batting them back and forth in front of him like a cat toy. I didn't want him to be able to terrify me like this. I didn't want to just lay there and do whatever he wanted to me. I...

I couldn't.

I WOULDN'T.

Something snapped inside of me, like water breaking out of a damn. Something flipped, something changed, something began to BURN. I didn't know what this feeling was, but I LIKED it. I glared up at him, the will to fight and win welling up within me.

"Get. Off."

He raised his eyebrows in bemusement, drawing back a bit.

"And if I don't...?"

"I Said. Get. OFF."

He cringed in discomfort, as if he was stung by an insect. "What-"

"NOW!"

I put as much of my will into that single syllable as I could muster, throwing all of the pain, fear, and confusion he'd caused me back into his face along with some of my own. It was time for HIM to feel helpless for a change. He gave a cry of pain and leaned away from me, releasing my wrists quickly. I slipped out from beneath him as he gasped and panted on his hands and knees, clutching the side of his head in agony.

I could still feel the fire growing, feel the incredible heat gathering in my skull, pooling in the space behind my eyes. Power. This is what it felt like. I reached out and bridged the gap between us as I gently placed two of my fingertips in the center of his forehead. Breathing hard, Dark raised his head and met my eyes, his own widening in awe and fear at whatever he saw within them. Funny; I saw nothing but weakness in his.

I spoke.

"לִדחוֹף."

Dark was thrown against the wall on the opposite side of the room, grunting as he crumpled to the floor. I got off the bed and calmly approached him, still holding my pointer and middle fingers aloft in his direction.

"לִצְלוֹב."

The demon groaned as his body was yanked violently into the air, arms stretched painfully out to his sides and his legs pulled straight towards the floor, his head hanging limply as though he were being crucified.

"...ש ש אלוהים."

Dark howled in agony, thrashing against his invisible bonds like a mad man. His skin began getting lighter, transitioning from his pale gray to an off-white color as his hair did the same. His eyes, opened impossibly wide as he lost himself to the pain, were like pure Sterling orbs inlaid in his eyesockets. He shook and spasmed wildly as he grit his teeth and tossed his head from side to side in immense suffering.

After about twenty seconds, his body tensed and went straight as a board as he let out one final scream before going completely limp in a dead faint. My lips parted one final time.

"לְטַהֵר, לְטַהֵר, לְטַ AHHHHH!"

My fingertips all at once felt as if they were being skinned and filleted. The fiery power I'd gained was searing my skull from the inside out. The pain never bottomed out, blazing a path slowly from my fingertips up my arms while it trickled from my head to my spine. I stumbled away from Dark, propping myself against the wall, gasping and shaking. It was absolute torture; I was being ripped apart, body, mind, and soul. I slid to the ground. I felt like I was going to die.

I didn't, though; the pain gradually faded to a dull roar, still there, but not as mind-bendingly intense as it had been. I sat leaning against the wall, overcome with weakness and vertigo that rendered my body useless. I stared tiredly at Dark's prone form just a few feet from me, wondering what in the blazes had just happened. What had come over me? Oh God I was in so much fucking pain...

I was close to passing out when a slight movement from Dark's body caught my attention, wrenching my eyes back open. He was dissolving again, but this time into a pale, sickly mist.

The dissolution medium wasn't the only thing that changed.

What happened next was bizarre: the body on the ground transformed before my eyes, shrinking slightly, becoming less stocky and more thin. The pale hair slowly grew out to shoulder length and turned into a healthy blonde color. The skin darkened into a moderate tan, sprouting a matching blonde goatee on his chin. The suit melted to reaveal a t-shirt, basketball shorts, and tennis shoes.

I was aghast, not really sure what to think. I couldn't have reacted if I'd wanted to, as tired as I was. But there on the floor, as I was staring agog at the unknown body, I heard something that made my already exhausted heart sink two stories through the floor:

"Impressive."


	16. Chapter 16

_"Impossibility is subject to your minds' reality"_

― _Evy Michaels_

"Impressive."

My heart dropped two stories through the floor to the pavement below, too exhausted to speed up or skip a beat. There he was, leaning languidly on my closet door across the room like he owned this entire building. Oh my god. I let my head thump back against the wall tiredly. Why me? I looked back at the John doe on the floor, wondering who I should feeling guilty about killing.

Dark followed my gaze. "Ah. That. One of the more basic substitution techniques: 'Cadaveribus Pugnatur Possessionem,' or, 'Corpse possession' for the languistically disinclined. Hardly a veritable skill," he said in a way that told me he was actually quite pleased with himself. He actually sounded so similar to that it was almost funny. I felt a little sick to my stomach. I didn't think I could feel any worse about what I did to that poor man.

"Oh, Don't worry your little human conscience." His lips twitched up in a little half grin, "you'll be relieved to know that he died in a relatively painless way when I fed from him hours prior."

Oh God, that made it so much worse.

I watched listlessly as he pushed off the door with his shoulder and approached me, taking a knee on the floor beside me. Ignoring the way I flinched, he gathered me up in his arms and walked me over to the bed, laying me down and arranging my limp appendages with surprising care. What did he plan on putting me through now?

"Lie still and try not to move, you're burnt out. You wore your power down too much and began digging into your own life force."

He reached out to me with both hands and placed the middle and pointer fingers of his right hand in the space between my eyes, placing those on the opposite hand on the hollow of my throat. I was too weak and in pain to protest as his eyes began to glow with intense focus. Shimmering silver and black strands of living darkness danced around him before gracefully spiraling down his arms to the point where his fingers met my skin.

These shadows were very different than all the others I had seen Dark use. They didn't try to stifle, frighten, or paralyze me, nor did they attempt to force their way in to sedate me or influence my thoughts against my will. They just...floated gently around his finger tips as they siphoned energy from him to me. I felt my strength returning as the pain blessedly began to wan. It dawned on me that the shadows themselves weren't necessarily evil; they were simply a medium, like a sword or gun. The revelation was unsettling.

When he'd decided that he had done enough, he stood and returned to his place by the closet door. I gave him a puzzled look, wondering why he'd suddenly backed off.

He studied me with an odd expression that I couldn't decipher, not saying a word for roughly a minute as I gazed back at him tiredly. When he did speak, his voice, like his face, was dead panned and without inflection.

"...You were really going to do it, weren't you? I didn't think you had it in you." He shook his head and huffed out a single incredulous laugh before staring at the wall above my head.

"Though I suppose you couldn't possibly have known exactly what was happening," he said thoughtfully, "You didn't even know what those words meant, did you?"

"..."

He nodded. "I thought so. It was a powerful combination. ' _Shalak. Trap. Esh'okhlad. Taher,"_ He recited, ticking each of the four words off on his fingers.

"In English, those spells would be roughly translated to, _'Thrust. crucify. consume by fire. purify.'_ The second to last would have left me unable to move for at least a month. The last one would probably have destroyed me. Actually..."

He sighed and ran a hand through his soft black hair.

"If I hadn't been so cautious, we'd likely both be dead."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing. It was strange to see him unnerved, even just a little bit. The moment passed as he eventually returned his eyes to mine.

"That was impossible, by the way."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said, that was impossible. Everything that just transpired is beyond the realm of possibility. What just occurred," he motioned from himself to me and back again, "is completely preposterous."

Despite everything that he'd put me through, I at least still had the wherewithall to get angry.

"Preposterous," I echoed incredulously, "is preposterous all you have to say about it? You _KILLED_ me in a dream, _TERRORIZED_ me for sport, practically _MOLESTED_ me, and now all you say about it is that it's _preposterous?_ Really. Well fuck you," I ground out rashly, too pissed to care about the consequences of my words.

His eyes glinted dangerously.

"I'll pay you back for that little jab later. But right now, you're not listening. _You_ , by definition, are _impossible._ You should not exist. There isn't even a word for what you are, Jericho."

"When you expired in that dreamscape, the same thing should have happened to your physical form as it did to your spirit. On the floor, Before you even lifted your head, I tried with all my might to crush your mind and you didn't feel a thing. On the bed, I was attempting to form something called a _'Snare,'_ an emotional manipulation technique exclusive to demons that should have ended in either your death or loss of all mental function.

"Do you understand now? Three times, Jericho. _Three separate times_ you should have perished tonight, and yet here you sit: impossibly, _preposterously_ , alive."

"For the past three months since I discovered you, I've been fleshing out a bond of sorts, exploring your mind, tentatively testing out theories, pushing your limits, performing small experiments here and there to see what does and doesn't affect you. It took awhile; Though I knew right away that you had natural mental strength, I still had to be cautious the deeper I went. Human minds are fragile, not equipped to withstand a Demon's psyche. I gradually increased the level of daring in the experiments before finally going as far as I did tonight.

"After all of this, The only thing I know for certain is that when you are not in mortal danger, if the intrusion is benign, your mind acts most like any other human's would. If the intrusion is malevolent, however... your mind becomes the perfect defense; a virtually impregnable mental fortress."

He held out his hand in a beckoning motion, and two objects shot up from the floor a couple feet away and into his waiting palm. He held them up for me to see.

"Do you know what these are?" The necklace and head piece from Mom's set were dangling from his fingers.

"...No."

"These," he said, shaking the chains a bit, "are druid relics. They are the only things that give humans the ability to do everything that you just did without using a _single one."_

He tossed them back to the floor and crossed his arms, glaring at me as he leaned against the closet door once more.

"I don't know what you are, and I've given up trying to find out."

With that final statement, silence fell between us, the tension so thick you could cut it with one of the scary knives under my parent's bed. I had the ridiculous thought that if this was a movie, a tumbleweed would be rolling along the screen right about now.

I then had a much less ridiculous thought.

"Wait. Why hasn't come in here yet, or at least woken up? Did you hurt him? What did you do?" I asked slowly, panicking a little.

Dark waved a dismissing hand as he rolled his eyes, "Mikhail is perfectly fine; I dosed him with a simple sleeping spell that he was too weak to resist and put some sound warding around this room while you were asleep for extra insurance. He doesn't even know I'm here."

I sat back in relief, not bothering to comment on the two new abilities he'd just revealed, or his weird pronunciation of 'Michael.'

"Okay... So how did you know for sure that those things you did weren't going to kill me?"

"I didn't, not completely. It was a hunch," he smirked.

I stared blankly at him for a second before covering my face with my hands and groaning in dismay.

"Oh my God... You're a psycho."

"I never said I wasn't," he chuckled softly, apparently amused by my chagrin.

"But do you know what's by far the _most_ interesting thing that's happened tonight?" looked up at his words to see him walking towards me slowly, that predatory gleam creaping back into his eye.

Shit. I was still too weak to stand.

"N-no, I guess I don't."

The matress sank as he sat down on the bed. My trepedation grew as his mischevious red eyes bore wickedly into mine.

"The most fascinating thing I've experienced tonight is the very... _peculiar_ reaction you had to the snare I attempted." He laid his hand on my ankle and slowly, teasingly stroked up and down my calf. "And do you know why that is, Jericho?"

I swallowed, distracted by the smooth motion of his hand on my skin. I nearly choked on thin air when he lowered his head , leaning over me to better gaze into my eyes.

"I...I-I don't..."

"How about I help you out, hm?" He suddenly dissolved into black and silver mist, making me jump. I turned on my side to look over the edge of the bed.

I shrieked when an icy arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards. He was behind me now, our bodies molding together, back to front as he pulled me flush with his solid torso. My heart stopped, and then began pumping double time as he pressed himself against me. He put his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply before continuing.

"This was different than my other manipulations; This time, I used nothing but malevolent actions which, as I already explained, can't touch you," he purred into my ear.

"Which means..." the hand that lay across my waist slid lower, bit by bit, until it rested just above the cleft of my legs. I shut my eyes.

"...Any reaction you had..." his hand rose up my body again, making me sigh in relief before gasping as it began to sidle up my shirt.

"...to my...advances..." I hissed and flinched a little as he trailed his icy fingertips across my stomach in little teasing circles before he continued his way upward, goosebumps erupting from everywhere he touched.

"...Was purely..." My breath hitched as hereached the top of my torso, delicately brushing the underside of my breast.

"...Physical." he tugged gently on my ear with his teeth and chuckled as I wriggled against him, trying to escape and get closer at the same time.

He lowered his lips to my neck, kissing and nipping at it with a practiced ease as his hand lay flat on my upper torso, working in small, slow, maddening circles. I needed to stop this. It didn't matter HOW good it felt, I had to cut this off before it got way out of hand. I opened my mouth with every intention of doing just that when-

Oh God.

I mewled suddenly, surprising both of us and causing him to briefly pause his ministrations. He was quiet for a beat before he let out a soft laugh. I could feel heat rising to my face and knew without looking I that I was blushing harder than I ever had In my entire life. I peeked over my shoulder to see his self-satisfied smirk, brow arched in mocking amusement.

"Well now... what have we here?" He asked softly, eyes narrowing mischievously on the place that his lips had just left vacant. I didn't like that look one bit.

"Dark, wait-" I started to protest breathlessly before he shot me a downright _evil_ grin, lowering his head again to pick up where he had left off.

He kissed me just there, _just right_ as his tongue swirled against my skin. My mouth fell open in a silent gasp, eyes fluttering shut involuntarily as he suddenly applied a gentle suction.

I suddenly felt an odd sensation against the entirety of my torso. I glanced down to see my shirt was...disappearing, little by little, string from the place where his hand rested. It dissolved slowly, eaten away by thin air. It was frightening to watch, and I didn't know how to react.

"Um... D-Dark...?" I stuttered.

He pulled away finally with one last peck to my weak spot, raking his demonic eyes over my flushed, panting face. He wasn't smirking anymore, wasn't cracking a smile. His expression one of...Focus, or Fixation. He looked almost...

He smoothly turned me on my back, propping himself up a bit to study my face intently. I looked at him nervously, not knowing what to expect, what to do, what to say. My breath was short, my heart pattering a feverish tattoo against the inside of my chest. He moved over me, mimicking the position we were in minutes before. I wriggled in mild discomfort as he slowly pressed upward with his thigh, creating a pleasant friction that made it hard to stay still. He was still focusing on my face, soaking in my reactions as I squirmed at the unfamiliar sensation.

he raised a hand to my face, cradling it and stroking his thumb across my cheek.

"Every emotion that radiates from your spirit is so sweet, Jericho."

I blinked up at him, eyes wide and waiting.

"As delicious as your fear is... your pleasure..." He trailed off in wonder as he met my nervous gaze.

He brought his face nearer to mine, stopping just inches away. His hooded eyes traveled slowly down to rest on my lips. The moments stretched into an eternity as we laid there, breath intermingling.

He suddenly closed the remaining distance and pressed his icy lips to mine in a sweet, tender kiss that made my heart skip a beat. It was chaste, only lasting a few seconds before he pulled away, eyes closed is rapture. He laid his forehead against mine.

"So addictive," he sighed softly.

"You really are a wonder, aren't you?"

"Dark..." I whispered, bringing his attention back to me, "I can't..."

He nodded slowly. "I know. I wouldn't. I'm not a monster, after all," he smirked softly.

He began dissolving, becoming translucent as his dark mist floated away from his body.

"...I really am sorry that I had to bring you such pain tonight, Jericho. I love your fear, but if I'm honest, I'd rather you not feel it."

"I'll see you soon," his words a ghostly echo as they faded with him into the darkness.

I was too exhausted from the events of the night to keep my eyes open any longer, falling asleep in seconds.


	17. Chapter 17

_"The truth is rarely pure, and never simple."_

 _-Oscar Wilde, 'The Imortance of Being Earnest'_

" ... _!"_

"Wha...?"

I opened my eyes blearily to to see crouching down beside the body in the corner of the room. My eyes widened in horror. It was now sitting in an upright position against the wall with it's legs folded neatly in front of it. I gagged when I saw that the hands were nailed to the wall beside it's head with...were those mechanical pencils? Wait, were those _MY_ mechanical pencils?! The blood-soaked fingers on each hand were arranged in a less than savory gesture. Above the head, there was a message written messily in a red substance that could only be blood:

 **حصاد**

 **كس أمك** __ **اطفح بسمّ الهاري** **.**

"Oh my God."

was kneeling with a hand raised to the cadaver's forehead, his pointer and middle finger pressed between the eyes. Removing his hand he turned his head to glare at me severely.

"I'm afraid God is on holiday at the moment, . Now, a demon performed a corpse possession here last night, and there was Alder root lining the door. I need you to tell me what you saw."

I nodded, jumping off the bed and starting in quickly.

" , you're not gonna believe what I... what are those bruises above your eyes?" I asked, pointing to the two purple dots that marred the area above each of his brows. He glowered at me.

"A fashion statement. Now get on with it," he groused.

Thirty minutes later we were sitting in the living room, mulling over everything I had just told him as I fiddled with the ring I'd put back on my finger. He'd stopped me a couple times to clarify, but for the most part he just sat there with his eyes trained intently on my face, barely even blinking. When I told him that the Demon's name was dark, his eyes narrowed and he cursed, startling me. I'd never heard anything like that come out of his mouth. Did he know Dark? I asked him, but he just shook his head and waved for me to go on.

When I was done, I asked what the writing on the wall was.

"It's Arabic."

"Okay, well what does it mean?"

"...You don't want to know."

I decided that, knowing Dark, I probably didn't.

I had left out some of Dark's explanation, like when he told me that he'd been performing experiments or what he found out about my 'powers.' I also left out the, um... _other_ things. He didn't need to hear that. For some reason, I felt like I didn't want him to know just how much I knew. I could tell that he knew I was holding some things back, but to my relief, he didn't comment.

I impatiently waited for him to say something when, after five minutes, I couldn't restrain myself any longer.

"Where are my parents, ? I know you know," I blurted suddenly.

He looked up at me calmly and blinked.

"...Please."

He sighed, sitting back in his chair and closing his eyes. He folded his hands in his lap.

"The Knights are looking for them as we speak. As of yet, their whereabouts are unknown. I'm sorry, , but-"

"The Knights? Who are the Knights? And are you trying to tell me that my parents are missing? what the hell happened?!"

"I don't know. Calm down."

"No!" I shot up angrily out of my chair, "I'm _not_ gonna calm down! My entire _life_ has been _shit_ for the past two weeks-"

" -"

"And _no one_ will tell me why, not even the people who are _supposed_ to be on _my_ side-"

 _" -"_

"And now my PARENTS, who I just found found out last night AREN'T who I thought they were, are missing and maybe DEAD, and you're not even fucking-"

 _"MS. WINTERS!"_ He roared.

I stopped cold.

"Sit down."

I sat down.

After glaring at me for a moment to make sure I wasn't going to explode again, he began to speak.

"The Knights are an elite task force that serves as a subdivision of a secret organization that has existed for thousands of years under many forms and many names: _Quod Consulere, Se Leoht_ , The illuminati, and many others. Today, It is called simply, 'The Resistance.'"

"Now, I'm going to start from the beginning. I expect you to remain silent until the end. If you have questions, I ask that you keep them them to yourself. Am I perfectly clear?"

I nodded.

"Alright. The story starts farther back than you know. Brace Yourself."

 _The "message for Mikhail" on the wall is in arabic, and reads, " Hisada, kuss ummak itfahk be-somm el-haari ," or, " , Fuck you and go choke on a dick."_

 _Quod consulere: In lain, "The Protectors."_

 _Se Leoht: In old English, "The Light"_


	18. Chapter 18

I Flitted through the shadows at top speed, barely paying attention to my surroundings. What was I thinking? I've never done anything even remotely like that before.

The Girl is more trouble than she's worth.

I know this, and yet I just keep getting closer. I only meant to use her for her power, to bond with her to gain it for myself. But now what was I doing, now that I knew that it was impossible to form the type of link that I needed to achieve this? Making a complete fool of myself, that's what.

I emerged from the shadows and began running across the rooftops, leaping from surface to surface and soaring through the open air.

I could have taken her then, used her for my own pleasure. I didn't need to kill to feed; fear just tasted the best, and a little blood to date the shadows never hurt anything. I don't need to use mind tricks to seduce, either. I'd lived long enough to have gleaned a few skills of my own; She would have given in eventually, had I continued. But I just couldn't bring myself to sully her like that. Why? What was she to me?

I flew up the side of a particularly tall building, shooting over the top high into the air before resuming my aimless pursuit.

I wasn't lying when I'd told her that her emotions were the most potent I'd ever felt. Her essence was dizzyingly powerful, so much so that I could almost physically feel it vibrating through the air. She was finally becoming acclimated to my aura, so her fear had lessened. And yet this changed nothing. Her pleasure was just as intense as her terror. I cursed. This was ludicrous.

But there was more.

I'd purposely neglected to disclose my latest theory pertaining to the bundle of surprises that was Jericho winters. I knew well that demons, like many other paranormals, have adapted to feel little to no emotion, as this hinders our ability to hunt and survive. Only two paranormals even possess the ability to feel any sort of love and affection, and demons are not on that list. We are earth's apex predators, selfish, dark creatures that feed on not only the emotions of humans, but the flesh, blood and bone of other paranormals as well.

But around her, it's different. It took me a long, long time to figure it out, this feeling that comes from our communing auras, but I'd finally come to the only conclusion I could: it was LOVE. Impossible, improbable, affection. Which could mean only one thing:

She was a druid.

Another impossible thing, as druids as a race were believed to have died out long, long ago. They were the only other benign race of paranormals besides the elves that actually sided with the humans in the millennia wars. The druids were empaths of a sort; when interacting with another paranormal, they had the ability to either magnify emotions in The other, or impress foreign emotions to manipulate them into doing their bidding. Demons can only do this to humans, and not nearly as well. Druids were the only other species with this ability. They were also extremely closely related to humans, the only physical differences being that they all had white hair. That explains why I didn't realize she was a Druid; she didn't even look like one. But if she didn't know she was a Druid, she shouldn't be able to affect my emotions to that degree. Which was troubling.

And that only solved half the mystery. I knew what she was, but that still didn't account for how she could do what she could do. Druids had very weak mental defences, and certainly could never use magic the level Jericho had achieved last night. Not to mention how the hell a druid had survived in the first place. It had to have something to do with Mikhail, yuulas, and yoseff; they were all councilmen, and had been in Jericho's life since she was a child. They weren't her biological family; I knew now that the council had just assigned them guardians from the time she was five. Poor girl didn't even know.

So I knew what she was, who her 'parents' were, and what she could do. What I didnt know was how she wasn't extinct, what The Resistance was using her for, or how she could do what she could do. She really was more trouble than she was worth.

I dissolved and started shadow gliding again. I'd thought about this enough for now. I had more pressing matters to deal with at the moment. I reached out with my mind with a singular purpose, creating a sort of mental radar with a miles-wide radius. I knew he was there somewhere; I'd seen his acrid stench polluting her mind, attempting to undermine my influence. There was no other being of any other race or breed that I despised more than him; the way he slink around like a damned coward, preferring to spit his venom from the sidelines. The wretch.

Ah. There he is.

I land on an apartment balcony six stories up, looking down to see him stalking a man into an alley way below, probably influencing his choice of direction. I scoff silently. He always takes the easy way out, doesn't he? Grinning wickedly, I unleashed my sizeable aura, making certain to inject no small amount of murderous intent while I was at it. He tensed and whirled around, prey forgotten as he whipped his head from side to side, searching for the disturbance. Oh, THIS would be FUN.

He dropped his glamour, letting his aura show. It had always looked hideous to me: a toxic mess of neon green and black, moving so slowly that it was nearly stagnant. His eyes flashed back to their natural colors, one green and the other black. Like me, his scleras were pitch, and he only had a pupil in his blue eye, giving him an insane look.

"I know you're there, DARKIPLIER... What'dya want, 'Blood King?'" His irish lilt echoed into the night as he turned about. He looked up, eyes narrowing as he finally caught sight of me. He crouched in a defensive posture, still deciding whether to fight or flee. Worm.

I smirked.

"I? I simply want what's mine, without having to worry about it being sullied by hands other than mine, ANTI."

He cocked an eyebrow, peeved.

"You know, I've flayed others alive for calling me that."

"Oh, come off it, 'snake,' we all hate our vessel's names. It's not our choice who we're bound to. I've just chosen to be a bit more mature about it," I scoffed.

He growled. "Enough, Dark. We've outgrown pleasantries by at least a thousand years."

"Fine, to business then," I said, my smile disappearing.

"Stay away from the girl, SNAKE, or you won't live to regret it. That was a cute trick, the disguise was very you. But this is your final warning."

"Or what? You can't muscle me around anymore, Dark. I'm stronger than I was then."

"Please. I can hear the tremble in your voice, Irishman. Take my warning before I have to beat it into you in a way you're limited brain will understand."

He glowered at me for a moment.

"Do you even know what she is?" He asked quietly. I dissolved and reformed about five meters from him.

"I have a pretty good idea," I stated vaguely.

"You know what? I don't think you do!" He said, letting out his signature high-pitched giggle, "I don't think you have a bloody clue!"

He continued to cackle. I flashed in front of him and wrapped a hand around his throat, lifting him into the air.

"Do you know something I don't? Care to share with the class?"

He grinned when he recovered from his shock.

" _Fell_...sends his...urk...regards," he panted, grappling at my wrist as he fought for breath. I nearly dropped him in shock.

"What did you just say?" I hissed as I narrowed my eyes, "when did he contact you?"

I gave him a little shake when he didn't answer, drawing odd sounds from him.

"SPEAK!"

"You know... you can't kill...me if Fell...is ...involved..." he croaked weakly, still grinning insanely.

"Are you w-willing ...to take th-that chance...Blood King?"

After a silent moment, I growled and threw him across the alley, his lanky body slamming against the opposite wall with a sickening crack. He groaned, already too weak to get on his feet. Pathetic.

"I'll be watching, ANTI," I snarled as I began to dissolve into the shadows.

"You'd do well not to cross me again."

I flew through the city again, rage building in every fiber of my being. First the resistance and now _Fell_ were both involved. This wasn't good. What did they know that I didn't?

What WAS Jericho?


	19. Chapter 19

In the beginning, there was no God. In the beginning, there was no light to be seen.

In the beginning, mankind was nothing but fodder for the hellish denizens that ruled the old world. They lived in constant terror, never afforded a moment of peace in their short lives, lest they be devoured whilst their back is turned. Humanity's darkest hours weren't in the midst of modern warfare and political intrigue; No, man's greatest challenge was at his very beginning, from the second they knew enough to call themselves _'Men.'_

What took place over the yawning stretch of unrecorded time between then and now should have been impossible. Imagine if _rabbits,_ in the span of a single millennia, managed to overtake not only mankind, but over half of the entire mammalian kingdom. But that is exactly what transpired. Not with Rabbits, But with men.

There have been countless hypotheses as to precisely when and how the world was tipped on its side so drastically and without preamble. But there is one constant in all the fantastic stories and allegations. However it happened...

 _It all began with magic._

At some point in the time before we could properly record history, Mankind came to possess extraordinary abilities, the origins of which are a mystery to this day. Whether we formed them over time through some wild mutation, or were blessed with a gift from a different being, It was of no consequence. All that mattered was that for the first time in the history of humanity, there was a small ray of hope.

Over time, we refined these abilities, learning new ways to survive with each passing year. Not only did we survive; we _flourished_ in the sweet, open air as we ventured slowly out of the caves we cowered in to finally face the sun. Millennia passed as the wise apes continued to grow and thrive.

The darkness was still ever present, but we had overcome it. The beasts were still waiting hungrily just outside our doors, but we were safe and guarded. We had _learned._ We had _adapted._ We had _WON._

As time went on, the growing number of humans became a potent threat to the dark, old world. The same creatures that had reined in total domination of their shadowed domain were slowly being overrun. Then came the _Millennia wars._

There were countless wars between the dark and what we know as light, years and years of bloody battles that bore both victories and losses on either side. Mountain sides were destroyed and raised in equal measure as the world shook with the strain. Ecosystems were devastated as they were poisoned by the blood spilled on the earth. Entire species were wiped out in the span of decades, so brutal was the madness that tore the earth apart for an entire century, Maybe even two or three.

When at last the dust settled to the blood soaked earth, the entire world was in ruins. There was hardly a trace of any civilization left standing across the globe that had continued to revolve despite it's inhabitants tearing themselves apart.

Once again, the impossible had become a reality; after all the blood and sweat and death and tears, Humanity remained, standing tall and strong. The nine other species that had survived decided it was in their best interests to return to the shadows for a time, living in obscurity in exchange for life; In exchange for never having to war with the little apes again.

And so they disappeared, slipping unseen back into the Blackened veil from whence they came in hopes of being forgotten by both history and its writers so they might hunt unhindered. And for the most part, they were successful in this endeavor. Many of them adapted to human form, chose human hosts, or shifted to look like men to better hide among them.

In one special case, an entire race was bound to humans in order to decimate its power and force them to rely on the very ones they hunted.

Yes, the beasts are hidden, but not completely forgotten. They live on in the stories, myths and legends we pass down through generations and the rare sightings that we see when they fail to take care. Outside the bounds our wildest fantasies and darkest nightmares, There exists an entire world thriving unseen in the shadows, waiting patiently for their chance to rise again.

And Hidden with them are humanity's first line of defense, Humans who work to keep the beasts cowering in the shadows so that we may never fall into those darkest of times again. They have existed for thousands of years of our recorded history, and countless years before even that in different shapes and forms and names. Wading through the darkness and depravity of the old world, risking their lives and livelihood so that we might have peace.

We do not know if there was, or is a God or other higher power.

Perhaps he was devoured by the primordial darkness himself.

But as long as we draw breath in this Godless world, we will do his job for him.

When finally fell silent, I was quiet for about five minutes as he waited patiently for me to process his wild history lesson.

"Are you trying to tell me," I said slowly, "That there have been supernatural beings lurking around for centuries, and we haven't noticed?"

"By design, yes. If the Paranormals so desired, I'm sure they could show themselves to the general public again. But after so long, It's just become the way of things. Most Paranormals want nothing more than to feed as they like, and this is the easiest way of doing so. The only race that has any real desire to overrun humanity is powerless to do so."

When I gave him a questioning look, he explained,

"Demons. The most power-hungry and vindictive species on the earth besides humans themselves."

"And why are they powerless?"

"Because long ago, a druid by the name of _Anjali-Apeksha_ bound every demon to a human host, and killed herself in the process because of the immensity of the magic she was utilizing."

"What do you mean 'bound?'" I asked, still confused. He sighed, holding the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache.

"I can see that we are going to be here awhile, so how about-"

"How about _I_ explain a few things?" A smooth voice interrupted, "I'm always happy to help."

and I both whipped around to see- speak of the damned Devil- Dark himself leaning against the front door with his signature smirk turned up full blast.

"Hello doll," he cooed as he walked towards where I was sitting on the couch, "Did you miss me?"

I blushed. Hard.

"How. Are you. Alive." ground out through gritted teeth. He stayed sitting, but he'd drawn a weird looking... thing while I had been looking away and was holding it vertically at an angle, like he was going to block an attack _. (The picture below, but double-sided.)_

Dark turned and rolled his eyes when he saw 's wand-stick-shank-thingy.

"Oh, put it away, Mikhail. I mean no harm today. It's not as if you have the reserves to wield a Scepter at the moment anyway."

didn't lower the 'Scepter.'

"Then why _are_ you here, King? Whatever it is, there's no need to do this in front of the girl."

"Oh, I quite agree," Dark said as he placed a hand on either side of my head on the couch behind me, causing me to scootch to the other end.

"Which is why I've decided to come make nice with you, _Icarod._ What do you say? For old time's sake, hm?"

didn't respond and kept the Scepter raised and pointed at Dark. My eyes flickered back and forth between the two, afraid that a fight was going to break out. After about a minute, Dark sighed and pushed off the back of the sofa, taking a step towards 's chair. He raised a hand in the two fingered sign I'd seen so often lately.

 _'Oh my God... isn't gonna be able to make it if Dark attacks him, he's too weak!'_

I shot off the couch, running over and grabbing Dark's arm impulsively, pulling it back. He was so strong that I ended up having to wrap my own arms around it. Both he and looked at me in surprise. Dark started grinning, and I Blushed again for the millionth time.

"Why Jericho, I think this is the first time you've hugged me of your own volition," He purred down at me.

"Dark, please," I said simply as I looked up at him.

He smirked.

"Well, since you asked so _nicely..."_

He raised the arm that I was holding, lifting me up into the air as I yelped in shock. I heard make a surprised noise, but I couldn't see what happened as Dark turned and sat on the couch with me cradled in his arms like a child. I now sat sideways on his lap, leaning into the crook of his arm as he rested it on the arm rest. The thing they'd called a 'Scepter' was now in Dark's hand. struggled briefly to stand.

"Dark, if you hurt her-"

"Sit down, doctor, please. You're embarrassing yourself. Hold this for me, would you dear?" Dark said, handing me the Scepter. The crystal began to glow a soft white, making him smile and me stare in fascination. seemed to realize the situation was a sunk cost and sat back down tiredly.

"What do you want, Demon?"

Dark grinned, stroking my lower back a bit as he held me.

"Like I said, Doctor. To help."


	20. Chapter 20

I squirmed uncomfortably on Dark's lap. I'd attempted to get up several times, but he'd just wrapped a muscled arm around my waist, which was now reaching around to stroke my outer thigh. Dear God, had he no sense of decency? I could tell was peeved, but knew he couldn't really do anything.

"Alright, now that we're all nice and settled...I believe our little Jericho had some questions, did she not?" asked a smirking Dark.

's only response was a glare.

Dark chuckled. "Ignore the old sour puss, Jericho. Now what would you like to know?"

Despite how discomfited I was, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"What did he mean when he said that the demons were bound to the humans?"

"Ah, that's an interesting one, Good start. As Mikhail told you already, the one who cast the spell was a druid, a benign species of Paranormal related closely to humans. What she did was quite extraordinary, and hasn't been replicated before or since."

"What essentially happened was that each demon was bound to a human who volunteered themselves as a sacrifice. The demons were locked away by combining their souls into one. There was a catch however. Demons are immortal, meaning they could not be kept hidden in those souls indefinitely. So the Druid altered the runes so that the demons were forced to switch from host to host, trading forms as their host died."

"This is why I look like your beloved 'Markiplier' that you kids like to gaggle over so much; he's my new vessel. When our vessel expires, we are transported at random to a new one and remain there until they reach twenty years of age, whereupon we present ourselves as a 'darker side' of their personality. Around their twentieth year, we reform into our own autonomous being that unfortunately must resemble that of our host. In fact, you're little friend Sean is actually the entity your internet knows as 'Antisepticeye.' We tend to influence our vessels to form relationships with other vessels that hold demons we knew in past lives. Does that answer your question, dear?"

"...I think so?" I said uncertainly. "So you're how old...?"

His lips twitched up at the corners. "About three thousand. I was created quite recently." he kissed the top of my head.

I felt a little faint.

"Before you ask," interjected, "Nobody knows how demons are created. one just appears every couple centuries. They are only immortal _unless_ they are killed by another demon; nothing else can do the job."

"Huh." Okay. Wow.

"What else, darling?" Dark prompted me.

"One, don't call me darling," I muttered, "Two, What other things are there besides Demons that I don't know about?"

"There are eight different species of Paranormal," stated simply, "There are Demons, Elves, Angels, Vampires, Beasts, Shifters, Merfolk, and Elementals, which are split into nymphs, Land spirits, Naiads, Water spirits, and Fairies, air spirits. If you want to read about them, the Tome under your parents bed should tell you all you need to know. You can also find out about basic magic, herbology, Charms, runes, and ciphers. Anything you need to know about the resistance is contained in there as well."

I nodded. "I guess I'll read it through a bit later then, just the important parts. I have another question though," I turned to Dark.

"Why do you keep calling 'Mikhail?' His name is Michael, isn't it?"

Dark shot a mischievous look "Well, Doctor?"

glowered at the demon before sighing and slumping a little.

"My full given name is _'High Councilman Mikhail Icarod, The Reaper and Knight of the Vesuvian clan.'_ I'm not who you think I am, , and neither are your parents. And before you have a chance to ask aboutthem, _their_ names and titles are as follows:

Joseph Winters is known as _'Councilman Yosef Soloman, The Fox and Knight of the Ludite Clan.'_ Your mother, Julia Winters, is known as _'Seer Yuulas Elkayim, The Banshee and Knight of the Ludite Clan.'_

"We are all part of the organization I mentioned earlier, "The Resistance." We were born and raised to fight the creatures like that," he said while motioning to Dark, who gave him an evil smirk, "so that they may not rise up and overtake humanity once again."

"And?" Asked Dark, goading him.

"What?" snapped Dr... _Mikhail._

"There's moooore..." Dark sang softly, "Do you want to break it to her, or should I?" He said with a dark grin.

'Mikhail' looked at Dark tiredly. "Are we really going to do this, King?"

"She'll find out eventually, old man. might as well get it out now, or she'll hate you more for it later."

"... ... Jericho. I tell you this with no small amount of sorrow, but your parents..."

He sighed heavily, as if dreading his own next words.

"...Are not related to you by blood. Nor are they even of the same species. They were selected by the High Council of The Resistance as wards to protect you until you until further notice. I'm sorry . Truly."

My heart stopped. Time stopped. The earth stopped spinning on its axis as my entire world was turned upside down in a matter of seconds for the millionth time in the past two weeks. Why was everything falling apart around me? Why was everything changing, everyone leaving, every line in my life being blurred beyond recognition?

 _And now, finally, the madness had spread to me._

 _ **Even I wasn't who I thought I was.**_

My vision began getting blurry. What was that noise? It sounded like someone was whimpering. I was vaguely surprised to find that the sounds were coming from me. I felt Dark- I only dimmly registered that it was him- tighten his arms around me, turning me toward him. I vaguely heard someone shout before Dark's chest rumbled against my ear.

And then everything was cold.


	21. Chapter 21

It was cold. And dark. The only thing that was keeping me sane was the arms I could feel wrapped around me, holding me tight in a solid embrace. I pressed closer to them, burying my face in their shoulder.

And it was over.

It wasn't that bad, just a couple seconds. It was more the shock than anything that made it disconcerting. I could still feel myself shaking and whimpering. I really didn't know why; my world had stopped and my heart was numb; how did I even have any tears left?

I wasn't my parent's child. I was just an assignment. A mission, an asset, an object. My life was a lie. The people I'd thought were my entire extended family was likely in on it. Just as well, though, seeing as I'd never really had many people to care about me anyway. Even Sean was trying to use me. I wasn't human.

I was a tool.

I was wracked with a fresh round of sobs, causing the arms that cradled me like a child to tighten. Dark. He'd been holding me when Dr...when _Mikhail_ had broken the news.

I knew I should have been fighting to get out of his grip. I knew I shouldn't let myself trust him, after everything he'd put me through. But Then again, I couldn't really trust anyone, could I?

I didn't fight back as I felt him sit down with me in his arms, rocking me and shushing me softly. I didn't protest as he began rubbing my back in slow, soothing circles. I just curled into his firm chest, gripping his shirt as I sobbed. I just held onto him for all I was worth.

It seemed like hours later that I finally began to calm down. It probably was. My eyes stung, my cheeks were stiff with dried tears, and my head was pounding with a migraine that was reaching critical levels. Oh God, the light hurt.

"It's okay, darling girl, I'm here... shhh, Hush now little Jericho, It's going to be okay, just relax, shhhh..."

I finally registered his voice that accompanied the gentle rocking. I opened my eyes slightly to see that we were sitting on the edge of a huge, luxurious king sized bed adorned with red and black and silver furnishings. There was a huge curtain rack that went around the entire structure. The curtain, which matched the beautiful top sheets, was pulled back on either side. I closed my eyes, not seeing anything important enough to constitute keeping them open.

He stopped rocking me as I quieted down, turning around to lay me gently on the bed. He undressed me, slipping off my socks and shoes and jeans, but keeping my shirt on. I barely noticed at the time. I felt him pull the covers back and tuck me in before getting in the bed himself, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. As I drifted to sleep, I dimmly registered that his arms were warm.

And then I didn't think anything else.


	22. Chapter 23

I was warm and safe. I didnt know where I was or how I got wherever I was, but it didn't matter. I could worry about that later; for now, I didn't want to think. I snuggled in closer to the warmth, and it responded by tightening around me more securely.

I smiled and sighed in sleepy bliss. I wanted to stay there forever, floating, caught in the between dreams and life. I didn't want to wake up. I knew in the back of my mind that once I did, just like the past couple days, my nightmares would be preferable to the waking world that I was trapped in.

But I woke up slowly anyway.

I opened my eyes blearily. At first, I had the ridiculous thought that maybe I'd gone blind, but scrapped that idea when I realized that a plane of gray was obscuring the entirety of my vision. It was moving, expanding slowly before shrinking back at the same rate. I opened my eyes a bit wider. I froze.

A chest.

A very gray, very muscled, very warm, very NAKED... chest.

I was curled up within the circle of a man's arms, with my face nuzzled into their neck. Their head was above mine, their chin resting on top of my hair. I had never, ever, EVER been in this position before. Cuddling was a new experience for me, and it was disconcerting. I slowly extracted my head from underneath the person's head and looked up tentatively into the face of a sleeping Dark.

Oh.

It all came back to me; finding out about my parents and Mikhail, The Resistance, Demons, Me... I almost started crying again, but I knew that I'd done enough of that last night, probably for hours. The memory was hazy.

First thing's first, though... I had to get out of that bed.

I slowly turned around, wiggling my way under and out of Dark's arms. I glanced back at him. So far so good. I slipped out of the covers as quietly as possible, rolling off the bed and silently placing my feet on the floor. I shivered; Jesus, why was it so cold? I looked down to my goosebump-riddled legs and found that they were bare. All I was wearing was a pair of panties and a shirt. Oh, he was gonna PAY for this.

Pushing my indignance aside for the time being, I pulled down my shirt to try and cover my bottom half while I frantically looked around for my pants and shoes. I really had to get out of there, before he woke up. Dark might have been acting nice yesterday, but he was still dangerous. He'd still done nothing that constituted my trust, and until he did, I wasn't buying anything the demon was selling.

I had just bent over to look under the dresser on the opposite wall when I felt ice encase my waist and hips. Holding back a shriek, I looked down.

Shit.

There were multiple strands of black and silver mist curled around my torso. More shadowy tendrils slid up my arms and shoulders, while still more wrapped around my ankles and calves, pulsing all the while in that way that made them seem alive. One wrapped around the very top of my right thigh, making me blush and squirm. Oh my God...

"And just where do you think you're going?" I heard the bane of my existence say from the bed. I was still facing the other direction.

"I don't know, just away from here," I tried to cross my arms, but the shadows made it difficult, "I don't trust you."

"Well someone's not a morning person~" he teased, laughter in his tone. The shadows gave a short, playful squeeze, making me yelp and him laugh out loud. I felt myself being turned to face him.

"Dark, I swear, if you don't let me go this Goddamn second..."

He was quite a picture, sitting up in the bed with the covers laying down low on his toned gray hips. The term, "Fuck me hair" had never been more accurate, with the loose strands in the front completely covering his left eye in a rougeish fashion. He wore a seductive smirk on his lips as he lowered his head and looked at me through his dark lashes. The shadows that held me were connected to him, radiating off his being with a more sinister vibe than usual.

He pretended to think, looking up and tapping his chin.

"Mmmm... No, I don't think I will. I quite like this look on you; I wasn't lying when I said chains become you, you know. I can think of some entertaining ways to use them..." he purred playfully, looking me up and down suggestively.

"Dark! I'm serious! Let me down, you jerk!" I exclaimed, fighting my blush with everything I had. He sighed exhasperatedly, rolling his eyes.

"You really need to loosen up, little girl." He then grinned wickedly and raised his hand in a beckoning motion.

I squeeled embarrassingly as the space between us shrunk suddenly, the shadows gently pulling me into the air and toward the bed. I began struggling in earnest, wriggling and protesting the entire way.

In the end, it did no good. In a matter of twenty seconds, I had been wrestled into a neutral position by a laughing Dark. I was sitting between his legs as he lounged on the bed with my back pressed flush against his front by both him and his shadows. He had extended one leg and pulled the knee of the other leg toward his chest. His arms were criss-crossed around my front, coming around on either side of me to grip my right arm in his left and vice-versa. I was completely and utterly trapped. AGAIN.

"Get OFF of me! Jesus, can you not for ONE SECOND have some semblance of decency? Do you even know what boundaries are?!" I said as I struggled against his grip.

"Nope, nope, and nope. Sorry, you're stuck with me for now." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose into my hair as I kicked my legs out and wrenched myself from side to side.

"Mmm, pomegranate. Lovely choice of shampoo dear, simply delightful."

"Well damn, I guess I have to change it now, don't I?" I snarked.

He just chuckled, his chest rumbling against my back.

"Sorry for the trouble. You know," he said conversationally as he ignored my righteous indignation, "Demons are nature's perfect predator. Every part of the hunt excites us; tracking our target, the chase, the reward..."

His words and tone put me on edge as wondered where exactly he was going with this.

"Personally, I favor the moments just after capture, just prior to the kill. I _love_ it when my prey puts up that one last fight, when they struggle even after they know they've no hope of escape. It speaks deeply to the predator in me. And the way that you are moving against me now, little girl..." His voice devolved into a low rumble as he nipped at my ear.

 _"...Is driving me positively MAD with want."_ He growled.

I froze in fear. He laughed softly.

"Ah, so precious."

"...Dark?" I said softly. He raised his head.

"Hm...?"

"Why am I here? Why did you bring me here?"

He was quiet for a moment as he considered my question.

"I don't like feeling your grief and pain. They...hurt me as well."

I was a bit disappointed at his answer. Of course. It was probably because he didn't like the 'taste' or something. I didn't know why I was hoping to hear something different. He was a monster after all.

I guess I was just hoping he'd be on my side. After he'd explained himself last night, and left me alone when I asked him to, and then apologized, and then made Mikhail tell me the truth... I thought...I don't know what I thought, really.

 _"Jericho, that's not at all the reason. Of all the things of yours that I'd like to put in my mouth, words are not one of them,"_ he spoke in my head.

I could not believe he just said that. I swiveled my head around as much as I could to glower up at him.

"You're disgusting." I gave him my most withering glare. He just laughed.

"A matter of opinion and taste, dear. But it's true; I didn't bring you here as an object, or something to feed on. I brought you here because I'm fond of you, and you were in pain. Remember the bond I told you about that I've been creating for a couple months?"

I nodded.

"At first, I only wanted to form a temporary link with you to find out what you were. After I discovered your power, I wanted to force a permanent bond to harness it for myself. But around you I've begun to feel... well, that's it, really. I've begun to feel."

"What?"

He finally released me from his shadows and opened his arms so I could scuttle quickly out of his reach, nearly tumbling to the floor.

"Another reason I brought you here is to tell you some things that Mikhail both can't and won't. Keep an open mind; even with everything you've seen so far, a lot of what I'm about to tell you is going to sound unbelievable."

I looked at him suspiciously.

He got up out of the bed, a pair of loose-fitting black jeans forming on him even as he stood.

"Come with me. You're going to want to hear this." he called behind him as he walked out of the room. I hesitated before I decided that I might as well follow him.

When in Rome, right?


	23. Chapter 24

I followed him out of the room through a dimly lit hallway. He turned the corner, leading me into into a-

 _...Woah._

The area that we walked into was straight out of a fairy tale. It was an enormous foyer of palatial proportions, with an impossibly high ceiling containing a magnificent stained glass skylight that rivaled that of Notre-Dame. The entirety of the ceiling was adorned with a breathtaking depiction of a bustling eventide skyscape with flocks of various outlandish winged beasts soaring through the clouds with such miraculous realism that I could almost hear the wind rushing through their wings. The furnishings in the room were decorated with grandiose furnishings colored red, gold, and black like the previous room had been, giving the area an elegant and slightly sinister air that suited my illustrious host.

In the center of the broad expanse of gleaming black marble floor was an intricate silver circle with a nine yard diameter containing rows and rows of mysterious markings and symbols spiraling their way inward to the epicenter. I didn't comment as we passed the odd structure, but made a mental note to ask later.

We were headed towards a massive open staircase that encompassed an entire wall of the room at its broad, sweeping base. The rails were crafted from shining gold that was inlaid with complex, labrynthine art that made the entire structure a wonder to behold.

I slowed to a stop halfway up the steps, temporarily forgetting what I was doing and who I was with to turn and ogle my surroundings in silent reverence. I take it back; this place wasn't just from a fairy tale. I'd never read or seen anything like it, even in books and pictures. I stood there gripping the lavish hand rail in wonderment.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see dark smiling at me, an eyebrow cocked slightly in a toned down version of his playful smirk.

"Come along now, there will be time enough for gawking later." He said, taking my hand in his own to gently guide me up the steps after him. I noted that his hand was once again warm instead of the frigid touch I was used to.

"Dark," I said as we ascended, "Why isn't your skin cold, like normal? It was warm last night, too."

He responded without looking back.

"Well I figured you wouldn't want this..." His hand suddenly grew ice cold around mine, making me cringe.

"...As a bed mate. I am naturally cold, but I can change my temperature." His skin returned to it's original temperature.

"Oh."

At the top of our climb, we reached a striking set of double doors that had to be at least twice as tall as Dark himself. A deep mahogany furnished with black and gold nestled underneath a grand black marble arch, they fit right in with the opulent decor of the rest of the room.

He let go of my hand, pushing the thick slabs of wood inward to reveal another room, this one much different than the last two.

It was a room roughly the size of my entire apartment, with black walls, a black floor, and a black ceiling that was a more normal height than the last room thanks to our climb up the stairs. I noticed that there was no light source, but I could still see everything. Every wall of the room was lined with rows and rows of strange weapons of various sizes, shapes and colors, from scythes, axes, and curved blades to crossbows, shuriken, and what looked like a boomerang. There was a long rack against the wall opposite the door that contained more of those 'Scepter' things, along with bigger versions that were each about five feet and tiny ones that looked like magic wands. Beside that was a large set of ceiling-high shelves that took up three fourths of the wall, stocked with loads of dried herbs and odd liquids sorted neatly into tidy rows. They were all labeled in a foreign language. I shuddered as I saw what I was pretty sure was a jawbone. Dark stood to the side as I took it all in.

"...What is all of this?" I asked when I was finally able to speak.

"My armory, compiled over a little under three thousand years. Trophies, mementos, gifts, things I made myself... This is just a portion of it of course; the things you see before you are the parts of my collection that I store in my home for safe keeping. The room adjacent to this one holds a couple hundred of my spell books and tomes."

"Jesus...I never pegged you as a hoarder."

"I prefer the term 'collector'. Now, If you'll look to the display in the center of the room, I have some things to show you."

In the center of the room was what appeared to be a floating set of weapons and armor that were obviously meant to be used together. There was a scepter, a staff, and what looked like a wand floating beside the full body suit of metal and leather armor. The staff was attached to the back at a diagonal angle, while the scepter was held at the hip with the wand directly beneath it. There were two daggers sheathed on the out sides of both thighs and a blue sword about the length of the torso crossing paths with the staff.

It was all so outlandish and so painfully stereotypical looking that I almost laughed. I turned to Dark to tell him so, but the dead serious look on his face trapped my words in my throat.

"This is no cliche fantasy game like the ones my dear host dallies in so often, Jericho. This is Druid armor, one of the last of its kind. I procured it over a thousand years ago, before the Druid pogrom."

He walked me up to the display, pointing to each of the weapons in turn.

"A Scepter, for jinxes and hexes, or attack magic. The Caduceus," he said, touching the top of the long staff in the back, "Is for the same, just more powerful. I would liken it to comparing a revolver and a semi-automatic. The wand is for charms and simple spells, like the sleeping charm I put on Mikhail. Demons don't need a wand for that, but humans do. All three of these are of Druid origin, and are very powerful when used together.

"These daggers are twins," He said as he pulled them out of their sheath to show me. They both had a blade that was split in two.

"They are called the _'Alnujum Altaw'um,'_ or, _'The Twin stars.'_ Aside from being used for physical attacks, they can harness the users energy and manifest it in the blade to add a little extra sting. The sword, _'Daw' Qamar,'_ or, ' _Moonlight,_ ' can do the same. While there are many other conductive blades in the world, there are none that can sharpen the energy into as potent a force as these."

"Why are you showing me this?" I asked. Sure, the armor and weapons were beautiful, but I didn't see how any of this was important.

He didn't answer, instead drawing the sword from its sheath, lifting it over the back. He wordlessly placed the pommel in my hand.

What happened next was extraordinary. The second the sword touched my skin, the air around me pulsed as a wave of energy from the sword oscillated around the spacious room. The sword began to glow a soft, living blue that shimmered and danced around the blade like an ethereal mist. I felt like I did when I'd done that thing to Dark in the bedroom, pinning him to the wall and nearly destroying him. I felt high off of the raw power that was suddenly flowing through every fiber of my being, white hot and dangerous.

I looked at Dark in awe. His expression was unfathomable.

"This may sting a bit."

"Wha-" I wasn't able to finish asking him what he meant before he placed his fingers to my forehead.

He was right; it _did_ sting, but only for a moment. My entire body went stiff as every muscle clenched briefly, a slight shock pinching my nerve endings uncomfortably for a split second. Then it was done. I relaxed and gave him an annoyed glare.

"And just what the hell was _that_ for?"

"Just look," he grinned, waving his hand in a circular motion and somehow summoning a hand mirror out of thin air. He turned it towards me. I dropped the sword in shock at what I saw.

"Oh...my God..." I whispered, running a hand through my white hair and over my slightly thinner and more faeish visage.

"What did you do to me...?"

He tossed the mirror behind him and it disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"I isolated the part of you that they've kept hidden so well, and pulled it out. I didn't change you, I shattered your glamour. Do you remember when Mikhail told you that you and the people you know as your parents were not even of the same species?"

I felt a pang in my heart at the memory, but nodded; As painful as it was, I'd been meaning to ask.

"He was talking about you. You aren't human, Jericho."

"You're a _Druid."_


	24. Chapter 25

Fell lifts his head suddenly, looking into the distance and cocking it to the side in a birdlike movement.

"Fell? What is it? Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly. He had that look on his face again, the crazy one. I didn't like it. I never did.

 _"...Anti. The girl..."_ He breathed quietly, his burnt gold and black aura rolling off of him in sinister waves.

"Jericho? What about her?"

He whips his head around to fix his golden glowing eyes on me. His expression was always calm, but if you looked deep into his piercing gaze, you'd always find a hint of madness within them. He slowly smiled, making me shiver from the malicious intent I saw in his face.

 _"She's awake..."_ He hissed.


	25. Chapter 26

"I'm a fucking what?"

"A Druid. You're a denizen of a race that went extinct two thousand years ago. The best way to describe them is the total opposite of demons in every aspect, physical and mental."

I shook my head and closed my eyes. This was so much worse than I thought it was this morning. I wasn't even fucking HUMAN.

Just as I started to feel tears gathering behind my eyes, I felt his warm arms wrap around me.

"shhh, it's okay. We don't have to finish now, I can tell you the rest later."

"No," I said, pulling away and wiping my eyes, "No, just tell me now, I need to hear this. Just rip the bandaid off, Dark. I'm not as porcelain as my skin is now."

He nodded slowly after a moment and continued.

"Like I said, a Druid is in every aspect the opposite of a Demons. Your hair and skin, for example," he said, taking my hand and looking down to where our skin touched," are lighter. You even look less tainted."

"Druids are also female. Every Demon that has ever existed has been a male, and there are no records of any Druids that weren't female. And, like Demons, no one knows exaclt how they come to be. They just are."

He put one hand on my shoulder and one on my cheek, his thumb stroking back and forth as I looked up at him.

"They aren't built for hunting and fighting like Demons. Their mental powers are still extremely potent, but not near as brutal and designed for pain. They are kind-natured souls, feeding on primarily joy instead of fear. But the most important difference of all..."

His hands slid down my arms to grip my hands lightly.

"They can feel. Demons feel little to no emotion, and certainly not the compassion and love that Druids are prone to. But as fundamentally different as our are, they were incredibly important to each other before the Druids died out."

I looked up into his bloody gaze curiously.

"What's so special about Demons and Druids?"

"Druids are also empaths, which means that they can impress their emotions on individuals near them, whether consciously or unconsciously. When you put the two of us together, opposites that we are, you essentially get two parts of a whole. light and shadow, goodness and depravity."

I blinked.

"Druids and Demons used to exist in equal numbers, probably for this reason. We would often pair up with one Druid that mutually agreed to be our mate. I never had one, but I heard that the experience was..." He laid his forehead against mine and closed his eyes, trailing off.

"Some believe that the reason Druids began to die off was because of Anjali-Apeksha, the Druid that bound us to the humans nearly ten thousand years ago. Allegedly, she fell in love with a human who was later murdered by a jealous Demon who wanted her as a mate. So she decided that she would bind us to our prey; the perfect humiliation."

I pulled back and looked at him, causing him to open his eyes.

"So you're saying that I'm making you feel emotion? I can do that?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"You are the very last of your kind; I can't believe my ridiculous luck for having stumbled upon you. But now...I'm never letting you go."

My eyes widened. "What...I'm not... You want me to be..."

He nodded.

"My mate."

"The High Council recognizes Councilman Mikhail Icarod of the Vesuvian Clan. We bid you state your case."

At the speaker's announcement, Mikhail stepped forward before the twenty five denizens of the High Council. Looking up at each of their faces, many of whom he'd known all his life, his expression was even more grim than usual.

"The Demon known as Dark has the Druid."

His statement was met with gasps and mutters as the weight of his words fell over the room.

"And how did this come to pass?" The Head Consul asked.

"He spirited her away while I was too weak to resist him. She had been wearing the warding ring, but he's formed a bond with her, right under our noses. I was careless."

The council grew more agitated.

"And if he joins with her? If he gets past the barriers? What then, Reaper?" someone asked, "you could have doomed us all!"

The head consul raised a hand.

"Peace! Mikhail has never failed us before. He will remedy his mistake."

She then addressed Mikhail directly. "Mikhail Icarod, your task should be obvious. Find the Druid girl and bring her into custody; it has become much too dangerous to continue our attempt to hide her in plain sight. You have stood watch over our asset for twenty years; it's time to bring the vessel in."

Mikhail inclined his head. "Mission received. Has there been any word on the missing Host and Councilman?"

The Circle Chamber fell silent.

"Dead. They were found seventeen hours ago with evidence that suggests a Demon's involvement."

The Reaper hung his head. Yulaas and Yoseff had been his companions since childhood. That much, at least, had not been a facade.

"I see. Very well. I will find and retrieve the vessel as bid by the White King and his Council. For the resistance and the light."

"For the resistance and the light," the Council echoed.

"Adjourned."


	26. Chapter 27

It took a moment for his words to register.

Once they did, I wrenched my hands out of his and ran. Out the door, down the stairs, turning into a random hallway. I didn't hear any noise behind me, didn't feel any freezing smoke at my heels, didn't see any pulsing shadows, but I didn't dare stop to look behind me.

Fuck this. Fuck all of it.

I'd had enough.

"Are we really going to do this again?" I heard his rumbling timbre speak in my mind.

"I'm not gonna just lie down and let you use me!" I shouted as I turned a corner.

"I'm not using you. Calm down and stop acting like a child before I have to treat you like one."

I screeched to a halt as a wall suddenly rose up in front of me, molding itself to the other walls, floor and ceiling as though it had always been there. It happened so fast that I was forced to put my hands up to keep from crashing into it completely.

"God DAMMIT!"

I curled my hands into tight fists, slamming one into the wall as if I could move it again. I struck it a couple more times with weakening intensity until I just laid my palm flat against the surface, leaning forward and letting my head thump softly into the wall, closing my eyes in defeat.

I heard something behind me. I didn't have to look to know that it was him. I felt him place his hands on the wall on top of mine.

"Are we done? Can you face me like a big girl so we can talk?"

"Don't fucking patronize me, Darkiplier"

"I will if you deserve it," He replied evenly, ignoring the name.

We stayed like that for awhile. I got the feeling that as stubborn as I was, he would stay there until I turned to look at him.

'Well he can wait for fucking ever,' I thought bitterly.

"I heard that, and you're right, I definitely can." He said, sounding amused. Jerk.

I sighed in frustration, thumping my head against the wall again. I knew I was being childish, but I was too done with everything to care.

"Fine," I said petulantly.

A couple quiet seconds passed.

"I don't want to look at you right now, so you might as well just leave."

He didn't answer, not moving an inch as he continued to wait patiently.

"You can't just spring something like this on me and expect me to be okay with it, alright?"

No response.

"Oh my God!" I wrenched my hands out from under his and whirled around to glare into his stupid gray face. I saw it was smirking slightly, and I realized that I'd turned around without even thinking. Shit.

"I can't do this, alright? What the hell do you even want from me?!" I yelled.

"I believe I've made that quite clear, Jericho." He said calmly, smirk disappearing as he turned serious again.

"No, you haven't. I still don't even know if I can trust you! You practically tortured me for four days, disappeared for eight, scared me half to death for some experiment that you didn't even know if I would survive, and now you- you're just-"

"Being nice?" He supplied.

"Yes! Stop it!" I snapped. He cocked his head, his lips twitching up into an amused smile.

"Stop being nice? That could be fun..." He said with a grin.

"Yes! No... God, I don't fucking know anymore. You're mood swings are giving me whiplash." I said, my voice devolving into a mutter as I spoke. I looked away and crossed my arms over my chest defensively.

He gently took my hands in his, unfolding my arms.

"I can't apologize for what I am, nor will I try to. I know that I am and always will be a cruel, dark creature. But give me a chance... I'm not all that you make me out to be. Jericho, when I'm around you, I'm able to feel. The emotions you take for granted, like love, joy, and contentment, are not things that a Demon is built to feel. We Demons were created, for whatever reason, as only a part of a whole."

He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead.

"Without you, I have nothing but my power. Without me, you will always feel incomplete. My shadow of a soul can't stand on its own. And neither can yours."

I remembered those words; He'd said them to me before, in the dream I had the night after the snow storm.

"You feel it, don't you?" He leaned in, placing his cheek against mine. I stiffened.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered uneasily. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction; I couldn't. I felt a puff of air brush my ear as he let out a breathy laugh.

"I think you do. My shadows call to you, they resonate with your spirit every time they touch you," He murmured in a seductive tone. A piece of his aura reached out and stroked up my neck and across my other cheekbone before withdrawing again. Like always, I felt bereft at the loss of it's touch. I hated that I did.

He brought his hand up to rest on the place that the shadow had left vacant, pulling back from my cheek. His dark head bent lower, his mouth brushing my eyelids, sending little darts of fire dancing along my skin. His mouth moved farther down and found the corner of mine, and a jolt of electricity sizzled through my entire body.

"Dark...I can't do this. I can't take this...whatever this is."

His dark, bloody eyes lit up in amusement and a tiny hint of tenderness as he lowered his head and fixed me with a predatory stare. He put his hand to my upper chest and slid it upward slowly to curl his fingers around the nape of my neck, squeezing ever so slightly.

"Oh...I think you can." His black velvet voice was a perfect seduction, his smile purely sensual. My breath hitched at his expression, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"If you need a little extra proof...I'm all too happy to oblige," He purred softly.

I didn't even have time to react as he suddenly pressed his lips to mine.

In the next moment, I was lost. I was engulfed in a raging inferno even more intoxicating than the rush of power that the sword gave me. His moan told me he was feeling it too, whatever this was. He dragged my body flush against him aggressively, one arm around my lower back and a hand at the base of my skull, tangling in my hair. I felt his power right down to my toes. I was so close to him that I felt like a part of him, surrounded by his terrifying aura, enveloped by him and the shadows that spun and danced around us.

He broke the kiss with a growl, his mouth traveling to the line of my vulnerable throat. I threw my head back unconsciously to give him greater access, his lips and tongue moving like flames over my racing pulse point. My hand flew to the back of his head, clutching him to me. He picked me up so that I was forced to wrap my legs around his waist and pressed me into the wall, grinding his hips slowly into mine in deep circles as he feasted on my skin.

His lips blazed a path of little bites and kisses to the swell of my breast as his hands that supported my backside kneaded my skin roughly. I hissed as he nipped my skin, sure he was leaving a mark.

He shifted my weight so that I was held up by just his right arm and the way his hips were pressing mine into the wall. His free hand lifted the bottom of my shirt and sidled up my stomach. He reached the side of my bare breast (when did that happen?) And teasingly brushed the pad of his thumb across the area just short of my nipple, making me shudder.

Wait.

"W-wait. Wait, s-stop," I gasped, putting my hands to his broad chest in an effort to put a little space between us.

"Mmmm... Oh, you taste incredible. I should have made a meal out of you sooner," he purred against the base of my neck, his mouth tightening in a smile. For one terrifying second I thought he was going to ignore me, but he let me slide slowly down the wall til my feet touched the floor.

"Do you believe me now?" He asked smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

I didn't answer. I only knew one thing for sure: I was well and truly fucked.


	27. Chapter 28

When I pulled away from him, I looked down to see that I was clad in faded black fitted jeans and a tight black t-shirt with a pixelated 'D' on the front in a style that was obviously a mimicry of Markiplier's logo. I shot him a peeved look despite my slight shakiness from the ordeal before.

"Really? Who's being a child now?"

He smirked.

"I am. Now come, before I get too lost in the disappointment of the moment. We'll eat, and then I'll show you everything I know. You've been living a human life up until now- that changes today."

Once again, I had no choice but to follow him like a lost puppy. What else was I going to do?

Antisepticeye's POV

"Wait, so her glamour was broken? By who?" I asked in confusion. Fell rolled his gleaming yellow eyes, the black serpentine slits narrowing at me in annoyance. I almost shuddered. They might call me The Snake, but sometimes I think the moniker would have suited him better.

"Use your brain and take a guess, Anti."

"Dark," I answered immediately. It seemed obvious in retrospect.

"Yessss," he hissed lowly as he once again stared off into the distance, presumably zoning in on the disturbance the Druid's newly released energy had caused. Fell was much older than I, my senior by a couple thousand years, so his senses were much more honed than mine. I let him stew for awhile, leaving him to his thoughts.

"Do you think that he actually knows anything about her true purpose in the resistance?" I asked after I figured I'd waited long enough. His eyes flicked to me again.

"Absolutely not. The only two ways he would know are if she either gave up the runes to him willingly, or if they performed a joining. The first would require her to know about the runes in the first place, and the second would require her explicit consent. The Blood King is clueless, and will remain so for some time yet."

I nodded. It made sense.

When I'd first seen Jericho, even I had no idea what she really was. All I knew was that she had power that I could harness through a bond. I didn't realize she was a druid until a few days after I'd met her.

Right after I'd discovered that it was so, I went directly to Fell. He'd been my mentor for many years, and I knew he'd be angry if I kept information as important as this away from him. I got the biggest shock of my life when I found out what he knew; this was bigger than just discovering the last druid.

What strange times these are turning out to be.

Mikhail's POV:

I cursed bitterly. I'd been trying to track them for hours and was getting absolutely nowhere. Even the energy signal from the ring was long gone. This meant that either Dark had some of the heaviest warding I'd ever seen, or they had fled the country entirely. The second option was more likely.

I cursed again, retreating from the ledge I'd been leaning over. I was at the top of the Chrysler building; oddly enough, mental signatures are a bit like radio signals. The higher the antenna, the greater the reach.

Gathering my things, I sighed. It looked like I was going to have to pay the hosts a visit.

Jericho's POV:

Dinner was actually pretty amazing; It was a cheese ravioli with alfredo sauce, with a salad on the side and hawaiian punch for a drink. I decided to ignore the creepiness factor of him knowing my favorite foods for my own sanity.

We were sitting at a long dinner table, like the ones I'd only seen on Television. I waited to see where he sat down and pointedly gone to the other end, making him chuckle. He didn't get himself a plate at first; when he lead me into the dining room, the food was already out on the table on a single plate. When I got too unnerved by his staring at me throughout the course of the meal and asked him snappily if he ate at all, he just raised a brow and summoned a wine glass of what I'm pretty sure was blood out of thin air, taking a sip without breaking eye contact.

I was done eating after that.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, smirking when I dropped my fork to my plate in disgust.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer, standing and holding out an arm in a gentlemanly fashion that befit the dark suit he always wore. I looped my arm through his hesitantly, letting him lead me from the room. The table dissolved into black smoke in our wake as we walked the length of it. I would never get used to that.

We ended up back in the grand foyer, climbing the stairs in the same direction of the armory room we'd been in earlier. This time, we skipped the majestic doors in the archway and turned right to a simple wooden door. He released my arm and pushed the door open with an obnoxious creak, extending his hand in a 'you first' gesture.

The room wasn't much in the way of looks; it was about twice the size of my bedroom, with wooden shelves lining the walls that looked as if they hadn't been dusted in years. Hundreds of books filled every shelf from top to bottom, leather bound, paper back, metal, ancient and new- there was even an entire shelf dedicated entirely to scrolls.

"...Okay...So why are you showing me this? Because if you have some dastardly plan up your sleeve that involves flaring up my dust allergies, you are succeeding."

He plucked a sizable scroll from a shoulder height shelf and tossed it to me. I fumbled and nearly dropped it. "Hey, watch it!"

"I have some business elsewhere to attend to, and won't be returning for a couple hours. Give or take," He said, Flipping through a different shelf before pulling out a small book about the size of my hand and tossing that to me as well.

"What? Why, what are you going to be doing?" I asked as I examined the book.

"Official Demon business. In any case, while I'm gone I'd like you to read through a bit of those two documents. If you're looking for a crash course into the paranormal world, those should do the job." He walked out of the room with me in tow.

"I actually wasn't, thanks for asking," I muttered as I followed him back down the stairs.

"Too bad, you're getting one. And Jericho, do keep in mind that I will know if you try to escape. I know that you'll most likely try it, but I'm giving you a fair warning now so that I have an excuse to punish you later."

I shuddered at the grin he shot me over his shoulder. Halfway down the steps, he began to dissolve as he walked.

"Feel free to explore to your heart's content in my absence. If I'm not back by sundown, go to the bedroom we were in this morning. There are powerful wards lining that room, so it should be safe."

As he disappeared completely, the remaining shadows danced around my form before fading into the air, accompanied by a whisper;

"I'll see you soon, love."

I just kept walking, bidding him farewell with a short, 'see ya.' By now I'd become well accustomed to his dramatic ways. I sighed as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

Better get to reading.


	28. Chapter 29

Mikhail's POV

The head consul silently led me through the arched stone hallways, free of any decoration or furnishing. The farther we traveled into the torch-lit catacombs underneath the fortress, the more dank and damp it became, until I could see thin salt growths lining the walls like filmy glass. We were getting close to the Calendula chambers; I could smell the sickly sweet stench of the burning herbs.

About six minutes into our journey, the tunneling cavern narrowed out until it was little more than six feet tall, forcing me to bend slightly. We finally arrived at the entrance, a jagged slash in the stone that was just large enough for a human body to fit into. I turned to my guide.

"Thank you for this, High Councilwoman."

She just shook her head, turning from me and walking back the way we came.

"You can thank me by coming back in one piece and of sound mind, Icarod. You might not be so lucky this time."

I watched her disappear around the curve of the tunnel before turning to the gash in the cavern wall. After a moment, I sighed heavily. I knew she was right; I'd come too close to insanity for comfort when I last consulted The Hosts nearly a decade ago as to the whereabouts of the Demon Fell 'eloikh. Just the smell of the burnt Calendula leaves wafting from the entrance was enough to set off unpleasant flashbacks that almost made me shudder.

Almost.

I steeled myself and climbed through the wound in the earth, nicking my hand on one of the sharp edges. As the rancid smoke hit all of my senses full force, I cleared my mind of any thought, forcing up my mental shields and carefully schooling my expression into an emotionless facade that I knew would give me an advantage. The less weakness they could see, the less they knew about me, the better my chances of leaving this wretched place alive.

A green-gray mist wafted around the chamber that was much bigger than its diminutive entrance suggested. I took one quick breath of the ghostly air before covering my mouth and nose with a thick piece of cloth; no need to do any more than what was required of me. Squinting my eyes, I examined my surroundings with a feeling of nightmarish deja-vu.

The chamber, a cavernous hemisphere roughly a hundred meters in diameter and around half that sum in height. The ground was carved into a flat surface that was still jagged enough to constitute thick shoes. The smoky cave was incredibly dim due to the only light source being the large, seemingly bottomless natural spring welling up in it's center that seemed to glow from within with an eerie blue light. I knew without checking that It was salt water from the heavy white mineral growths on the walls of the dome. The lythe spring.

Surrounding the spring were the creatures I had come here for.

Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the ghostly water were five creatures that I knew were not human, despite their appearance. They each were clad in black featureless cloaks that hung over their bowed heads so that everything but their pale necks were shrouded in shadow. They each clutched calendula smudge sticks tightly in their bloody hands that were morbidly decorated with countless burns both recent and scarred over from when the flames ate down to their nerveless skin. Their blood gave the eye watering smoke from the herbs a nauseatingly sweet tinge that made even my stomach turn uneasily.

Their cloaks shifted as their heads rose slowly in unison. I could hear the disgusting cracks and pops as their stiff joints began shifting from the position they'd likely held vigilantly for months. I heard a soft hiss ring through my mind, sending unsettling vibrations rushing through the back of my skull and down my spine. I fought to keep my expression and thoughts neutral as my mental barriers were raked with sharp, probing claws as the hosts wracked my consciousness for any sign of weakness. The hiss transitioned from inside my head to my ears as they withdrew reluctantly. I didn't move, didn't blink, didn't so much as breath a sigh of relief as they retreated, leaving my mind blessedly my own.

They spoke in a whispered unison that filled the cavern.

"THE HOSTS WELCOME MIKHAIL, KNIGHT OF CLAN VESUVIOUS. THE HOSTS BID HIM STATE HIS PURPOSE."

I stepped forward to within ten meters of the creatures, still keeping my distance. When I spoke, it was without inflection.

"I've come to ask a favor of the hosts; will they grant me an audience?"

"THE HOSTS ASK WHAT MANNER OF TASK THE REAPER WOULD REQUEST OF THEM. THE HOSTS WARN THE KNIGHT THAT THEIR TIME IS NOT TO BE SQUANDERED," The hunched forms hiss menacingly in response. I didn't flinch.

"I request that you locate the Druid Jericho. We have exhausted every option but this; The Girl is too consequential an asset for us to allow her to go unsupervised."

The creatures pause, and the defending silence becomes unsettling.

"THE HOSTS CONSIDER YOUR REQUEST AND DEEM IT WORTHY OF THEIR ATTENTION," they finally responded, creaking their heads back to the salt spring. As they turned, their dark hoods slid slowly backwards, pulled away by an unseen force. The things that were unveiled were just as awful a sight as their voices were to hear, a sight I had hoped never to see again.

They were of various ages and ethnicities: a young girl with wild red curls cascading down into her cloak, an older woman with straight black hair. Across from them, three men, one middle aged and of Latino descent, one adolescent with mahogany skin, and the last an ancient looking old crone of a creature. Despite their ethnicities, their skin was pale and ashen, a sickly pallor that came from extreme lack of sun. They looked like little more than a thin veil of flesh covering their stark bones, emaciated to a horrifying extent.

The most disturbing aspect of the hosts was easily their eyes, or lack thereof. They each had a white blindfold fastened tightly to their heads and over their eyes. The white cloths were soaked with blood that leaked from the place where their eyes were supposed to be.

They began to chant softly in a unanimous monotone:

البحث والسعي. البحث والسعي. البحث والسعي

أريحا. أريحا. أريحا

The hideous chorus grew louder as the putrid, mossy smoke from the smudge sticks sifted from between their gorey fingers to swirl across the gleaming surface of the water. I closed my eyes in an attempt to shut out the sounds and smells, feeling myself teeter on the brink of insanity as the atmosphere suffocated my mind, body, and soul.

When I opened my eyes, it was over. The only sound in the room was my breath, the only motion the beads of cold sweat trickling Down my neck. Their hoods once again hid their terrifying visages from view as the mist wafted away from the surface of the spring. In the next second, I had my answer:

"The Hosts have seen her with the Demon known in his vessel as Dark," they murmured, their voices fading.

"IN BABYLON."

Author's note: the host's chant is in Arabic, and reads as follows:

albahth walsaey, albahth walsaey, albahth walsaey (search and find, search and find, search and find)

'Arihaan, 'Arihaan, 'Arihaan (Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.)


	29. Chapter 30

Jericho's POV:

Ugh. It was just like him to leave me hanging like this, wasn't it?

Since he'd given me permission, I decided that I'd take his suggestion and explore a bit before I got around to the book and the scroll. It was pretty anticlimactic; every room I passed through was decorated in much the same manner as the last, and not one of them in that sprawling stretch of mansion had anything interesting. The only rooms that were vaguely different were the bathroom and the kitchen, and even then the cupboards were bare of any food or utensils.

"Jesus, this place is a glorified dollhouse," I muttered to no one in particular as I found my way back to the foyer. On my way, I passed an ornate full bodied mirror in the hallway. I paused for a moment to stare at the stranger in the mirror.

Her smooth white hair fell down in waves six inches past her shoulders, framing her delicate porcelain skin. She had an exotic, eleven looking face with cheekbones that were slightly higher than mine and eybrows that lay slanted in two graceful arcs above her icy blue eyes. I raised my hand slowly to the mirror as she copied my every move, placing my slender fingertips over the cold surface as she did the same.

Our eyes met, and I watched as a single shining tear slipped from the corner of her eye and made it's way down her face. I closed my eyes before it hit the floor, breaking her gaze and letting my head hang. Who was that girl in the mirror?

She wasn't me.

I heard a crackling sound, and looked up to see spiderwebbed cracks in the glass twitching out slowly from where my hand met the mirror. I watched as they spread, the girl's slender form becoming broken and distorted as the mirror's surface was corrupted. Soon enough, it had climbed it's way from corner to corner, ruining the integrity of the delicate glass.

I didn't flinch when it shattered into a million tiny pieces, closing my eyes as the girl was ripped apart by the shimmering debri that fell to the floor, tinkling softly. I let my hand fall and looked at the mess I'd made without remorse. Clutching the book and the scroll under my arm, I turned and continued silently on my way, leaving the mirror and the girl behind.

Having nowhere else I really wanted to go after my day was basically ruined, I decided to go back to the armory that Dark first showed me to read. It was basically the most interesting room in the manor.

Shoving open the gigantic doors with more than a little effort (Jesus, how did he do this so effortlessly?), I found that there was now a large, comfy looking black chaise lounge on the wall by the door. I guess Dark knew I'd eventually end up going back there. I hated how well he knew me. I reclined on the soft cushions that were indeed as comfy as they looked and picked up the book, placing the scroll in my lap.

I noticed that the book had a lot of scratches and dents on it's cover bindings. It looked like it had been through some bad days. I opened the book to find that it's aged yellow pages were completely blank.

"What the- GAH!"

I flinched in pain, tossing the book to the side as I felt a sharp jab in my finger that felt like someone had driven a needle straight through it. Sucking on my bleeding finger, I glared at the book on the floor. That explained why it looked like it had been dropped a lot.

I took off my shoes and put my socks on my feet, picking up the book tentatively. Ah, THERE were the words! Guess it was one of those things that needed a sacrifice or whatever. Dark could have at least given me a warning, but I guess that just wasn't his style.

Sure that it wouldn't prick me again, I sat down and began to flip through the book to see what it was about. It was sorted into sections: Hexes and Jinxes, Charms and relics, Wards and Spells, Herbology, Weapons, Runes and Ciphers, and Precious Stones. From what I could tell, it was pretty much a hand written encyclopedia of things that you could use in magic. Deciding I had nothing better to do, I settled in for the long haul.

BASIC HERBOLOGY: Herbs can be used for a variety of magic, from Mind control to sleep induction. Most herbs must be paired with sage that has been blessed beforehand for them to achieve their intended magical function. Humans and elves are the main practitioners of Herb magic, as most do not possess any magical abilities beyond a seventh sense and/or third eye abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. Below is a list of the most basic herbs and their uses.

DREAMS AND SLEEP

Bay leaf: the user can influence the victim's dreams.

Calendula: prophetic dreams and third eye ability with long term exposure.

Camomile: Used to ward off outside dream influence.

Valerian: Simply put, knock out smoke.

Anise: Promotes a dreamless sleep.

Bergamot: prevents sleep altogether.

DEFENSE AND REVERSAL

Parsely: Purification, curse and jinx reversal.

Sage: wards off shadows

Basil: excorsism

Carnation: wards off charms

Citronella: aids in evading mind control

Eucalyptus: reveals glamour and hidden spells

Hydrangea: hex breaking

AUGMENTATION

Yarrow: boosts psychic abilities

Allspice: boosts physical energy

Alfalfa: wards off hunger

Devils pod: increase in spell ability

Echinacea: adds power to charms and hexes

Alderroot: sound warding and silent footsteps.

HEALING

Anemone: healing herb for inner bleeding.

Angelica root: curse headache from over use of magic

Arnica: balm for bruises and sprains

Lemon balm: coagulant and strong numbing agent

HERBAL HEXES AND JINXES

Belladonna: undetectable poison that quells magic

Brimstone: hex

Cactus: hex

Calamus root: hex

Fox glove: hex, hallucinations

Lemon grass: hex, loss of nerve and muscle control

Mandrake root: hex, nerve endings flare

Mistletoe: hex, paralysis

Monkshood: hex, loss of mental activity

Morning glory: hex, powerful aphrodisiacs

Mullein: Jinx, mind control

Orris root: jinx, love potion

Primrose: jinx, truth serum

Rue: hex, emotional disturbance

Skullcap mushroom: hex, temporary insanity

Wormwood: hex, violent insanity

Yucca: hex, memory malfunction

Yew: Jinx, memory isolation and distruction

MISCELLANEOUS

Dandelion leaf: summoning

Dandelion root: banishment

I flicked through the book rather quickly; it was basically like that for the entire thing, just basic knowledge and a paragraph or two. I was done with the small book in about an hour. It was interesting to finally understand a couple of the terms I'd been hearing though. Maybe now I wouldn't be as confused all the time, as long as I kept this book on me. I set it down beside me and opened the scroll.

Ohhhh man. I should have started with the scroll, this was WAY better.

It was a scroll dedicated to druids and druid relics. I must have been sitting there for hours reading about the armor, weapons, Spells and abilities of their-of my race. This was so damn cool! Could I really do ALL of this? I felt dizzy with excitement at the prospect. When I got to the part about the weapons, I saw a rough sketch of the caduceus, scepter, and wand set that was attached to the armor Dark showed me. Underneath the drawing, I read:

The Caduceus, Scepter, and wand, though utilized by many paranormal species, are of Druid origin. Their potency depends upon both the user and the materials from which they are crafted. The caduceus is used for powerful spells that deal physical damage. The Scepter is for slightly smaller magic, such as mind control or sleep induction. The wand is used for spell reversal and healing as well as purification and augmentation of wards. All three should be used with caution, as they are powerful tools when used together in battle.

I looked up at the weapons attached to the Druid armor. Would those respond to me the same way that the sword did? I hopped off the chaise and circled the floating display, stopping at the anterior to examine the caduceus curiously. I reached up to unstrap it when-

There was a loud commotion downstairs, what sounded like a short explosion followed by a crash and cursing. Eyes widening, I yanked the staff out of its strap and held it in the middle, angled away from my body. I put an ear to the door. There was someone coming up the steps, cursing all the while.

Taking a deep breath, I raised the staff and burst out of the armory door to face the intruder. What i saw nearly made me drop my weapon.

"S-SEAN?!" I yelled in shock.

Halfway down the steps, the green haired, baby faced boy looked up at me in confusion, slightly lowering the crossbow he had aimed at me when I jumped out. He cocked his head.

"How'd you know my name?"


	30. Chapter 31

Sean's POV:

"How'd you know my name? Do I know you?" I lowered my crossbow and cocked my head at her in confusion. With any luck, I wouldn't have to fight her. I started to ask her name and possibly make nice, when she suddenly gave me the scariest glare I'd ever seen in my entire life, her eyes glowing a bright cyan along with her staff. What the fu-

"You LIAR!" She screamed, raising her spear thingy and leaping down to my position on the stairs. I didn't even have time to raise my bow before she was on me, forcing me on the defensive.

"Holy shit!"

Jericho's POV:

I didn't answer, lowering my head and charging him. "You! You fucking LIAR!" I screamed, swiping at him with the sharp, spear-like tip of my weapon.

"Holy shit!" He jumped back and then ducked as I swung for his head this time. An ice-blue tail of light followed behind the caduceus as I pursued him, intent on drawing blood. He lost his balance as he leaned back to avoid having his neck sliced open, tumbling halfway down the stairs. He scrambled to get his bearings, letting out a high pitched yelp as he just barely avoided being skewered to the steps. He grabbed the rail and swung himself over the side to land on his feet three yards down. I screamed again in frustration as I ran down the steps after him at top speed.

"You fucking LIED to me! I don't care WHAT the fuck you are, I'll DESTROY you!"

He raised his cross bow, backing up as I advanced. He shot, but I swung the Caduceus in a quick arc, swiping the arrow out of the air.

"Jesus CHRIST, lady! What the fuck're you on about? I've never seen you before in my fuckin'LIFE!" He gave another almost comical yelp and jumped to the side as I thrusted towards his stomach.

"God, stop fucking PRETENDING! I already know who you are, ANTISEPTICEYE!" I yelled as he evaded me. His back bumped into the wall.

"Wait, what?" He stopped for a second in surprise and then made a funny noise in his throat and dropped his bow when I slammed the tip of my weapon about five inches into the wall right beside his head.

"Any last words, Jackaboy?" I snarled.

"Wait wait wait wait wait! I'm not who you think I am! I'm not Anti, I'm Sean! I'm actually SEAN!" He babbled quickly, squeezing his eyes shut and holding up his hands as if bracing for a blow. I stopped just short of spearing his lanky neck to the wall.

"...What?"

He opened one tentative eye, not moving from his defensive position. "You're not gonna kill me?"

I glowered at him as I kept the Caduceus hovering over his neck. "Start talking. NOW."

"Okay, okay... alright my name is Sean McLaughlin, I'm NOT that fuckin' shit-eating bastard that's wearing my face. Listen, I'm just trying to set things right, if you'll take away that spear thing-"

"Caduceus," I corrected.

"- Caduceus. If you'll take the Caduceus away from my neck and let me explain, you'll understand. Please," he added as an afterthought.

After about half a minute of tense silence, I finally lowered my weapon.

"Alright, Sean. Explain."

He breathed out a huge sigh of relief, slumping against the wall. "Oh, thank God. I thought I was a goner."

"Now."

"Alright, alright. Excuse me if it takes a couple seconds to recover from having a bloody SPEAR at your neck. Caduceus, whatever," he waved me off tiredly before I could cut in.

"This whole mess started about five years ago..."

Sean's memory POV:

I woke up in the middle of the night gasping for breath, my sheets soaked with cold sweat. Fuck. It was that dream again. It was always the same; I'd be floating in some senseless dark abyss, disoriented and alone. The only thing I'd be able to feel was the water beneath my feet. I always walked on a dark sheet of water that extended forever in every direction into the void, with no end in sight.

At some point, HE always appeared. Sometimes he'd tackle me from behind, sometimes he'd drop down from above or grab my feet and pull me into the water... in one trippy instance, he had actually climbed out of my skin. But it was always the same ending. He'd grab me by the neck, looking straight into my eyes with his crazy blue and green ones, laughing insanely as he lifted me into the air, choking me until I woke up.

He looked like me. He WAS me. It was like coming face to face with everything that wasn't good inside me. I hated it. I hated him, I hated all of it.

I got up to splash some water on my face. It was no use tryingto go back to sleep; might as well play some video games to take my mind off of things. I had just stumbled through the bathroom door when I heard a piercing scream that made my blood turn to ice and fear curl deep into my gut.

Jesus Christ no.

"Sheila!" I screamed, racing back into the bedroom. Sometimes I think I knew, deep inside, what I would find before I even got there. I think all the time about how I could have protected her if I'd just stayed in that room. The guilt and regret I felt when I reached the doorway haunts me every single night before I go to sleep without fail.

Blood. Oh god there was so much blood, staining the sheets, flowing onto the carpet, splattered on the walls like a morbid piece of modern art.

And there she was: lying on her back, limbs splayed out on the bed unnaturally, like she'd been mangled in a car accident. Her head was hanging off the side of the head so that the blood from her slit throat flowed over her beautiful face that was frozen forever in an expression of stark terror.

I fell to my knees limply as I stared into her empty eyes. I was suddenly cold and numb, my brain nearly flat lining from the shock. No. No, please dear God NO!

I wanted to scream, to go to her and cradle her lifeless body in my arms, to do SOMETHING, but I couldn't move. I had died with her the moment I walked into the room. I heard a giggle from the corner of the room, causing me to swivel towards the sound so fast my neck nearly cracked. I knew that voice.

He stepped out of the shadows with another insane chuckle, the moonlight shining from between the curtains illuminating his jagged gash of a grin and his unsettling eyes. He spoke then, his mocking voice distorted and warbly as he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

"Awwww... I'm sorry, did I break Seany boy's toy? I just wanted to play with her too..." his voice dissolved into wild crackles as he approached me.

"We're not really supposed to make our presence known to the host, but she was such a pretty little thing that I just couldn't resist!" He snickered. "I won't tell if you don't, Seany. It'll be our secret, kay?" He chortled as he winked his blue eye at me.

"Sh-sheila..." I whispered brokenly, never once taking my eyes off of her shattered body.

The thing just laughed, throwing back his head and howling with mad glee. "She can't hear you, buddy! Give it up! Oh Fuck you're so pathetic that it's almost cute." He growled suddenly, crouching down and grabbing a handful of my brown hair, yanking my head back and shoving his face so close I could feel his cold breath on my face.

"Trust me, if I could kill you, you'd be with your little fuck toy right now. If you try to kill yourself, I will be there to stop you and deal you out a punishment WORSE than death. Do you understand me, human?" He snarled into my face.

"Th-the only o-one I'll be... k-killing is you..." I whispered.

He snickered and stood, throwing me against the wall on the opposite side of the room, transitioning into another mad giggle when I crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.

"I look forward to seeing you try, Seany. Bye-bye for now... Oh, and enjoy the clean-up."

He exploded into smoke and slipped out the door. Lying there on the ground, surrounded by the blood of the girl I'd planned on marrying, I vowed revenge above all else. I would keep up my career, but I'd get to him eventually.

And I would do everything to him that he did to Sheila, and make him SUFFER for it 'til he BEGGED me to kill him.

At any cost.

Even if it killed me.


	31. Chapter 32

Mikhail's POV:

Iraq. They... were in Iraq.

I climbed out of the council chamber's trap door with some help from Head Councilwoman Meesha, my bewilderment almost overpowering my relief. Babylon was an ancient city that no longer existed on any map, obviously. But in the place where it once stood was a city called Hillah.

In Iraq.

I had to admit, it was a pretty fitting location, considering that the original Babylon was famous for its depravity and corruption, but still, why Iraq of all places? It was a barren desert of a land, hardly somewhere you'd want to go if you knew you would be hiding out for awhile. Meesha broke me out of my reverie with a hand on my shoulder.

"You never cease to amaze me, Reaper. I thought we would have to pry the information from your listless mind when we dragged you out."

"And I thank you for the vote of confidence, Councilwoman," I said sardonically, "Now, I need to catch a-"

She waved a hand in front of my face, stopping my words. "You won't be catching a plane for a few days, Mikhail. If I'm not mistaken, you're barely standing now. We'll send a couple knights in your place."

I knew she was right; I was in no condition to go on missions, physically or mentally. But...

"Meesha. I can't just let you send good men to their deaths. You know that they will most likely fail." I was almost pleading, not wanting more deaths on my conscience.

"Don't make me jinx you."

She would, too. And unfortunately, I knew I was too drained to resist. I ground my teeth together in frustration as she once again turned and promptly walked away in a clear dismissal.

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you; Dark is not one to be underestimated," I called to her retreating form.

This wasn't good.

Jericho's POV:

I sat listening to his story with a painful tightness in my chest. I felt like I was going to cry when he finally fell silent, staring blankly at the floor as if trapped in the horrifying memory. I'd never hated anti more than I hated him in that moment. Now he wasn't just going to pay for messing with my life; I had Sean to avenge now as well.

We'd ended up sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall side by side. Something occured to me suddenly.

"Wait. Does this mean Mark knows about this stuff too?" I asked.

He shook his head, letting out a sad little laugh. "Mark? No, he has no idea, the lucky bastard. Can I ask a question?"

I nodded for him to go on.

"What the hell even are you? That shite was terrifying, man." He shuddered at the memory, "Your eyes got all glowy and you were so hell-bent on my blood... Jesus."

"Oh. well..." I explained to him the gist of what I'd discovered yesterday and today. His eyes got so wide at some points that I thought they might pop out of his skull.

"He wants you to be... his mate? Jesus that's fucked up. we've gotta get you outta here." He stopped and thought for a moment, "Actually, I'd need to figure out how I even got here first," He said, scratching his head.

It was my turn for my eyes to pop out of my skull. "What the hell do you mean you don't know how you got here? what the fuck?"

He chuckled nervously. "I was torturing a Naga earlier last night-well I guess it was morning in this time zone. Oh, a Naga is a snake woman; they have tails for their bottom halves," he added, seeing my confusion.

"...Okay?"

"Anyway, because Anti has a sort of alliance going on with the Naga going on, I figured one of theme might know where he was. So, I told everyone that I was going on vacation and went to find one. After a fuckin' month I caught one, and when she finally agreed to send me to Anti. She ended up porting me here, and now my charms and wards are missing! I guess I shouldn't have been so quick to trust her, huh?" He said, looking down sheepishly.

"I'm gonna have to second that; that was pretty stupid. But to be honest, I don't know where I am either."

"Hillah, Iraq, according to my phone," he said matter-of-factly. my jaw dropped to the floor.

"Fucking WHAT? Iraq? Why the fuck are we here?" I screeched.

"Ow-How should I know? Where's the entrance to this place, we should have been out of here a long time ago," he said as he looked around the foyer.

"There isn't one. Not that I've been able to find, at least."

"Well then how-"

He stopped as we heard a hissing and footsteps coming from upstairs. The armory.

"Oh my God, he's back..." I whisper- yelled as I stood, pulling him up with me.

"Shit! Literally all of my gear except for my bow is gone! I won't even be able to fight!"

"Stand back."

I pushed him behind me, rearing back and swinging the Caduceus with all my might at the wall. It responded to my will, a human sized hole exploding into existence. I grabbed his shirt and shoved him through. "Go go go! you have to run!" I whispered.

"I'll be back!" He backed away before bolting into the desert sands. Huh. I guess we probably were in the middle east. I was considering crawling out after him when I heard Dark's low voice echo behind me from atop the stairs.

"I know you too well, don't I?"

I turned to see his suit-clad form looking down at me superiorly with his arms folded over his chest, smirking.

'Oh, shit.' I thought to myself. Now I really wanted to run.

"Too late for that now, dear. Now..."

I shrieked as I felt a hand on my shoulder yank me around. I was suddenly looking into the face of Dark, eyes gleaming evilly over his playful grin.

"I believe I said something about a punishment?"


	32. Chapter 33

"Dark, I-"

He put a finger to my mouth. "Spare me. Besides..." He grinned and moved his fingers to my forehead.

Everything began to spin around us, tunnel vision setting in. I tried to grab at his hand, but my arms wouldn't work, hanging uselessly at my sides. He pulled me against him when I nearly collapsed.

"This going to be so. Much. Fun." He growled

"Why Is everything...so dark?" I whispered, trying to get my bearings. He chuckled as I went limp.

The last ridiculous thought I had before I passed out was, 'No pun intended...'

I woke up standing. My eyes flew open as I gasped silently and whirled from side to side, trying frantically to get my bearings. I pressed myself up against a wall, breathing hard. I was in a dimly lit stone hallway lined with mold-ridden yellow bricks that stunk rottenly to high heaven. God, it smelled like death. I peeled myself off the grimy surface in disgust.

I couldn't see more than twenty feet in front of me as I peered into the darkness. Looking down, I saw an old fashioned oil lamp sitting on the ground at my feet. 'That helps.' I picked it up and held it in front of me as I crept through the dank hallways. The place I was in looked for all the world like a dungeon, with an eerie, sinister silence that made me think something was going to jump out at me any second.

"What did Dark do...?" I whispered to myself in confusion and trepidation as I wandered around the damp stone corridors. I wasn't lost; for me to be lost, I'd first have to know where I was, and the way the identical hallways blended into one another through the endless twists and turns made that impossible. I decided to stick to the wall on my left, approach this systematically to try and find the exit.

On about the fifth turn I made, the monotony was finally broken. At the end of the corridor I'd just entered, there was a roughly crafted wooden door. I walked a little faster. Maybe it was an exit! I knew that it was wishful thinking to hope for a way out so soon; whatever horrifying punishment Dark had planned for me, I knew he'd want me to suffer for a while. I knew he wouldn't kill me, but that didn't mean he wasn't still terrifying.

I reached the door, taking a deep breath and wrenching it open, stifling a scream and clapping my hand over my mouth as the lantern illuminated the room.

The room was about the size of my room, lined with the same rotting bricks that covered the maze. Against the wall opposite the door was a monster- no, a statue, just a statue, thank God. It was a six foot sculpture of a gargoyle on a statue's pedestal, a terrifying grimace carved into its grotesque face. Its wings were half spread as it crouched with its claws gripping the edge of its perch, looking as if it would leap out at any moment. The way the lantern illuminated its hellish form made it look all the more alive.

I shuddered, lowering my hands. Jesus was that a relief; I don't know what I would have done if that thing had been real.

'is it getting darker in here..?'

Oh God. I held up the lantern, watching in horror as it grew dimmer.

Oh God oh God oh God oh God...!

I turned about frantically, not knowing what I was even looking for in my panic. Wait! There was a shelf in the corner of the room! That yellow fluid in those jars Had to be oil, what else could they be?

I rushed over, fumbling with one of the jars and wrenching it open to pour the contents into the lamp. I sighed in relief as it brightened once more. Now I could be clueless in the light instead of the dark! I turned to leave and-

"AHHH!"

The statue was right fucking behind me, nearly trapping me against the wall. I backed into the shelves, my eyes bugging out of my head, waiting to be ripped to pieces...But I never was. The statue just sat there, staring blankly at me in the same exact pose it had been before. Heart fluttering uncomfortably in my chest, I started to scootch slowly around it, never turning my back on the terrifying creature. I had almost made it when, with a sound like grinding stone...The head turned towards me.

Letting out another high pitched scream, I bolted, scrambling to the door. I didn't stop after I slammed it closed, bolting at top speed down the hallway, my plan to keep my movements restricted to left turns forgotten. I eventually stopped, bending over to catch my breath and calm my aching lungs. My situation was infinitely worse than I'd previously thought.

I knew that statue. I knew this place. I knew now exactly what Dark had done to me. I was in the second ever oculus rift game that mark had ever played, the only one that I'd ever seen that literally made him cry. This was quite possibly the cruelest thing Dark had ever done to me...

"Dread Halls..." My horrified whisper echoed softly through the silent dungeon.

Sean's POV:

I sprinted for about a mile. It didn't surprise me that the mansion was gone when I finally looked back; there had to be some heavy duty wards on that place. How the Naga got me in without alerting Dark, I'll never know.

I had to get Jericho out of there. It wasn't what I'd come here to do (Actually, I didn't mean to come here at all) but I'd made up my mind to help. I just needed to get some more supplies... Somewhere. they probably had at least some of the herbs I needed, even if I couldn't get to any charms. I took out my phone to see exactly how far from Hillah I was. I'd had it enchanted a couple years back by a really nice Naiad who owed me a favor. Now I had five bars no matter where I went!

I fuckin' love magic.

According to my GPS, I was only eight and a half miles from the city. I shrugged. I'd had worse. I put on my jacket to protect myself from the sun and started walking across the barren ground. I could alternate between having it on and off so I wouldn't burn too bad or get a sun stroke.

'I'll be back, Jericho. I promise,' I vowed in my head, 'I'll get you out.'

Jericho's POV:

'How am I gonna get out of this one?'

I'd been walking around fruitlessly for hours with no sign of any progress. It had been so long since I'd seen Mark's video that I didn't even remember how to beat it, which is probably why Dark chose a game from such an old video.

I'd come across several of the douchey jump scares that you'd find in any horror game: old skeletons around the corners, creaking doors, loud noises that seemed to come out of nowhere, Heavy breathing... it was one of the most unnerving experiences of my life. I had come across several more statues identical to the first one I'd seen, but they were easy enough to avoid if I just approached them with caution. They seemed to function like the weeping angels from Doctor who, only moving when you looked. If I got far enough away, it was safe.

As I went along, I picked up other things besides lantern oil; I found a map, a bunch of coins that I decided to ignore, and a series of notes that didn't really make sense at first until I realized that they were part of the story line, with cryptic things written on them like:

'It's been such a long time, how much longer do I have to wait?'

'They are watching'

'I hear the blood behind the walls'

'We found Greg's remains today. The judge had no mercy on him'

The map was useless, of course. Obviously Dark didn't actually want to give me a fighting chance, so he'd forced me on a wild goose chase trying to find where I was in the dungeon. Asshole. I figured the notes were just meant to unnerve me, seeing as I wasn't even following the story line, so I just tossed them.

I had just put another couple jars of oil in the knapsack on my hip (Which had been on me for no reason since I got there) when a sudden static grinding noise from the ninth circle of hell assaulted my ear drums, forcing me to wince and clap my hands to the sides of my head. Over the cacophonous din, I heard a woman's blood curdling scream from behind me. I turned around, whipping the lantern up in front of me defensively. Once I saw the source of the scream, I bailed.

There was someone, something, at the end of the hallway. It was human shaped, but I knew that wasn't the case. It's head was twitching rapidly from side to side as it screamed, its body distorted and murky, like it wasn't all there. I didn't stay to see more, the sound of my panting and my feet pounding against the stone floor echoing loudly off the walls. I couldn't afford to be quiet anymore; all I could do was pray that I didn't run into something else while I was escaping from that thing.

I came upon a corridor lit up by a couple torches. In a sudden burst of inspiration, I undid my knapsack, chunking all but a couple of the jars of oil into a huge puddle on the ground. I grabbed a torch and backed up about twenty feet. I didn't have to wait long before she came screeching around the corner. When she reached the oil, I threw the torch, igniting the puddle into a gigantic inferno that reached to the ceiling.

"YES! Get bent, mother fucker!" I yelled in triumph. I only celebrated for a couple seconds before I heard another scream. Her blazing form came out of the fire, coming at me faster than before with all of her limbs twitching and dancing at unnatural angles. My heart dropped as I was forced once again to flee.

But I was making headway! I was still faster than her, if I could just hold out a couple more minutes...!

A strip of shadow that I recognized all too well peeled itself away from the wall to my right, clothes lining me and knocking me to the floor in a way that was way too familiar. I could almost hear his deep, mocking laughter.

'No...'

She came up on me as I struggled for breath, the fire that still clung to her singeing my skin and making me howl with pain. I looked straight into her horrible black eyes as frightened tears fell from mine, unable to fight back as she reached for my face, gripping it with crushing force as her sharp nails dug into my skull.

I grabbed her cold hands by the wrists, trying to lessen the incredible pressure that threatened to crush my skull but she never let up. I heard a loud, sickening crack that sounded like a fire cracker, followed by the worst pain I'd ever felt in my entire life piercing my skull as blood ran down my face. I writhed and screamed louder than she did, trying to escape the hideous pain. I felt my head move quickly to the side with another deafening snap, and it was over.

Author's note:

I meant to include a shout out to an awesome writer. first is the user Wraythskitzofrenik and her story, 'Mark of Darkness.' It's exciting, sexy, intriguing, and just a thrilling read. I read her darkiplier story and was like, "That's it! I'm writing my own!"

check out HarvestMoon168's Dark/daughter story, too. It's super cool!


	33. Chapter 35

Anti's POV:

We had just finished an especially entertaining hunt. Fell and I lured six men into an abandoned hut and slaughtered them, leaving them unable to react, but making sure they felt every. last. cut. The screams that were echoing around in their heads were delicious, as was their fear. I licked my lips at the recent memory of the meal that would sate me for days. Not as potent as the Druid was bound to be, but they would have to do.

We alternated between bounding over rooftops to high speed shadow stepping, making sure to keep ourselves undetectable. We weren't here to cause trouble, we were here for recon. As we flew through the dry desert air over the shabby white huts the camel jockeys called homes, a flash of green caught my eye. A lanky, slouching flash of green. It couldn't be...could it?

'Fell, wait!' I sent to my mentor, leaping back a little to confirm my suspicions. Well what do you know...

'Hello, Seany boy...' I grinned to myself.

Fell appeared out of his gold-black smoke beside me. "What is it now? We can't just... Oh, well now. Isn't that interesting..." He said in amused surprise as he caught sight of the little beanpole.

"Want me to beat him all the way back to Brighton?" I smirked. I hoped he gave me permission. GOD I'd wanted to do that for so long. It would serve him right for giving me this fucking baby face.

"Wait," Fell hissed, laying a hand on my shoulder, "He knows where the girl is."

I shot Fell a dumbfounded look. "What? How?"

"I just looked into the outer edges of his mind. His mental talents are so lacking that he didn't even sense a disturbance," He smirked, chuckling a little as he continued, "Oh, it's so adorable; he stumbled upon little Jericho by complete folly. He reminds me of you," he jabbed, turning his smirk on me.

I held back a growl. "How?"

He snickered. "He tortured your little Naga toy, Minthe, whereupon she sent him here. Oh, how positively precious!" He laughed. I grimaced. Next time I saw Minthe, she'd probably have my head.

"Alright, so let's yank the location from his mind and go get her then."

"...Not possible. The warding from wherever he came is preventing me from tracking it. It's very high level magic; I'm impressed." Fell said in a thoughtful tone. "We'll follow him when he returns. Knowing your vessel, he's probably going to go play hero."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. Fell was right of course; Sean always was a try-hard. I grinned as we watched him.

'It'll be fun to see him crumble again.'

Jericho's POV

I awoke in an upright position yet again. This time though, I was being held up as I hung limply from somebody else's grasp, tears rolling down my face. I began struggling in earnest, kicking and hitting, thrashing my body around and screaming as I struck out against whoever was holding me.

It wouldn't get me, not again. I couldn't, I wouldn't feel that pain again, not ever. I didn't want to die! I couldn't die!

In a smooth movement that was too fast to track, my captor looped their arms through mine from behind me, pulling up so that my back was arched and locking me in a tight hold that I couldn't escape from. I squeezed my eyes shut and continued to kick backwards and scream frantically as I tried to get away. I could still feel her fingers in my breaking skull, could still feel the warm blood running down my face, still hear that sickening CRACK-

"NO! NO NO LET GO OF ME LET GO PLEASE IT HURTS PLEASE NO!"

They didn't respond, didn't let up, just letting me burn myself out.

Eventually my struggles lessened as I tired myself out. I became quieter and quieter as I screamed myself hoarse and could barely get out a whisper. My tears began to run dry. My energy waned as mental and physical exhaustion overtook me and I stopped kicking and thrashing against their hold. And then, finally, my sight began to fail as my mind and body were completely spent.

"P-please..." I whispered one final plea before going completely limp, crying softly as they held me up.

The only response I got was one word:

"Sleep."

And my world went dark.

Dark's POV:

I lowered her to the floor slowly, laying her arms out straight and kneading them to get the blood flowing back through them. I'd cut off certain areas of blood flow and irritated a couple pressure points to prevent her from accessing her third eye abilities, so I needed to make sure those were okay. After I was done taking inventory, I sighed and scooped her slender body into my arms.

I looked down at her face as I walked. Even in sleep, her brow was furrowed and her lips were trembling, eyes moving rapidly behind her lids.

I felt my chest tighten to a painful degree; I went too far and I knew it. I had only meant to scare her, but I didn't expect her fear to fuel the nightmare so much. That had made it difficult to pull her out of the dreamscape. Her belief in her doom was so strong, her fear so palpable, that her sense of what was real was shattered in the most violent way possible. There was only one reason that she would have mistaken that nightmare for reality to such an intense degree, even with her innate magical prowess:

She believed, with all her pure, precious heart, that I was really going to let her die.

And I didn't blame her.

What kind of monster was I that I enjoyed her fear so much? Even if I had acted sooner, even if I had pulled her out before she experienced her death, the fact remains that I enjoyed being cruel. I had never hated what I was before that moment. I had never felt like dying. But I knew that after what I'd done, if she told me she truly wanted me dead, I would do it.

I reached the bedroom and laid her down gently, removing just her shoes and socks before tucking her in. I didn't get in the bed with her; I didn't feel at all worthy of her presence at the moment. I left the room to wander around my grounds.

I didn't want to trouble her with my presence when she awakened.

Sean's POV:

'Thank. God.'

I honestly couldn't believe my dumb luck; They'd had almost every single herb that I needed for an entry charm! I had to trade my under shirt, socks and shoes, but I still counted this as a victory. At least they gave me sandals. Jesus the past twelve hours had been crazy...

'Alright, two parts Yarrow root, two parts sage, and one part eucalyptus, aaaaaand... Done!'

"BOOM! Smudge stick success!" I crowed, binding them together and holding up my work of art. With any luck, the smoke from this would get me past the wards that the Naga had bypassed by teleporting me.

"Now... I just gotta walk back," I sighed, gazing out to the east where I'd come from, "Hoo boy."

? POV:

I watched as the green haired kid wrapped his jacket around his head and started off back towards dark's mansion. A small smile touched my lips; He was kind of cute, like a puppy.

This situation was getting more interesting by the minute. Dark, Fell and his lapdog Anti, The Resistance, and now Anti's vessel? This was just too much fun.

None of that really mattered though; just as long as I could get a good jab at dark. I smirked and cast a cloaking spell, following him the entire way.


	34. Chapter 36

Sean's POV:

I couldn't help but feel like I was being followed. I kept feeling that little prickle on the back of my neck, like whenever I played a horror game and the music suddenly stopped. But every time I turned around, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary; some dry weeds, dust devils, a lizard here and there on occasion, but nothing that explained the feeling in my gut. I'll admit, I don't always have the best instincts (which is why I got into so much bloody trouble) but seriously: if you walk for nearly nine miles with your head over your shoulder so much you have a neck cramp, enough is enough.

I whirled around, raising my crossbow. "I know you're there, y'bastard and/or bastards! Might as well come out!" I declared to the empty desert air. Nothing. If there were crickets in Iraq, they would have been chirping. Despite there being no other living thing in sight despite the lizards, I felt a wee bit sheepish.

I was just about ready to give it up and keep walking when I heard a silky feminine laugh come from everywhere around me at once.

"Oh my goodness, look at your little red ears! They're adorable~!" I heard the woman coo at me. I blushed harder in indignation, glaring at the nothing that was mocking me.

"I swear to Christ lady, if you don't stop slinkin' around..." I snapped as I turned about.

"Please finish that sentence, I'm dying to hear it~" She chimed playfully. Her clear, musical voice didn't sound evil. In fact, it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever heard. But once again, I wasn't known for my stellar instincts so...

"Who are you? Show yourself, and we can talk. I don't want a fight!"

The lady laughed again, her lilting voice dancing around my ears. "And he's a gentleman! You really are too nice for your own good, Jackie."

Huh. She actually sounded sincere. I shook it off and narrowed my eyes. "I really can't do this right now, lady. I have somewhere I need to be, so can you cut the-"

My breath caught in my throat as the air suddenly shimmered like a mirage. A section of it made a motion like a falling curtain. And then I dropped my bow.

'Christ, she's beautiful.'

I looked her up and down, star struck. She was slender, with a gymnast's graceful physique and the balanced poise to match it. Thick, full locks of shining strawberry blonde hair cascaded down just past her shoulders, framing her gorgeous ivory face. And her face... her face was perfect; full pink lips that looked like they could break into a smile at any moment, a cute button nose, and lively dark eyes that peeked out from underneath her long lashes, sparkling with mischief.

She grinned and put a hand on her hip, raising a single eyebrow. "You okay there Jackie? You look a bit red there, Irish," she teased. I shook myself out of it and snatched up my crossbow.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, feeling the heat in my ears, "Who are you? I'm at a bit of a disadvantage, seein' as you obviously know me."

She grinned and flipped her hair over her shoulder, spreading her arms to present herself proudly.

"Signe Hanson, Hexing Witch and Herbal extraordinaire!" She put both hands on her slender hips and leaned forward, giving me a conspiratorial wink.

"But my friends call me Miishu."

Jericho's POV:

I'd woken up some time ago, but hadn't moved an inch from my place on the bed, choosing instead to gaze blankly at the ceiling.

I was alive. The fact didn't come as a shock; I didn't feel frantically around my body for injuries or take inventory of my surroundings. I was just alive.

Yay me.

I knew now that it was Dark that held me after I woke up, and Dark who'd caused the dream in the first place. It was Dark who made those monsters to torture me, and it was Dark who had tripped me to take away any fighting chance I had. And yet I didn't hate him.

Why not?

I had every reason to want him to go to hell. I had every reason to resent him for breaking the fragile trust that I'd developed with him. He said he wouldn't hurt me.

But he did.

And I didn't know how to feel about it. I laid there for about an hour before I finally pushed the covers back and crawled out to sit on the edge of the bed. I noticed he hadn't taken my clothes off this time. There was that, at least. I saw a note on the bedside table. I picked it up, finding it decorated in Dark's elegant script:

My Precious Jericho,

I never meant to hurt you to the extent that I did. I know well that I went too far, and for that, any obeisance I could ever offer you would be woefully inadequate. I promised to protect you, to use the chance you gave me to prove to you that I wasn't the monster you made me out to be. I see now that I was wrong. I am a monster, the fact of which I've never been more aware. I will continue to protect you to the best of my ability, but I will keep my distance; I will only show my face if you call me, will only approach if invited. I won't trouble you with my presence any longer, love.

With all my sorrow,

Dark

The ink began smearing in some places from the tears that fell onto the parchment. I was mildly surprised. I didn't think I had any tears left. I briefly wondered about Mikhail and my parents. Sean, too. I hadn't given the people closest to me a single thought in days. My chest clenched with guilt.

I had to get out of here. I had to find my parents, whether we were related or not, and get to safety somehow. Dark had apologized before, but there was only so many chances I was willing to give the Demon before I couldn't take anymore. He didn't even check to see if I was actually guilty; I'd been helping Sean escape, not myself.

The book and the scroll were on the bedside table as well. I grabbed them and started out the door. I'd find a way out of here if it was the last thing I did. I headed to the armory again to get the Caduceus, when halfway up the steps, a funny smell tickled my nose.

"Ugh, what is that? is that smoke?" I fanned a hand in the air in front of my face.

"Jericho?"

I whirled around, eyes widening at the familiar Irish lilt. "Sean?" He was clutching a burning bundle of plants that must have been the source of the smell.

A girl peeked out from behind his shoulder with a grin and a little wave. "And friends."

"Jericho, Miishu, Miishu, Jericho," Sean introduced us quickly, "Now come on, we gotta get outta here before Dark comes back!"

I grinned. 'looks like my hero finally arrived.'


	35. Chapter 37

"Wait, I have to get the armor and weapons!" I said, "They're just up the stairs, I'll be right back!"

"Alright but hurry! seriously I don't think-" He suddenly stopped, gasping suddenly as he stared at something behind me. I turned quickly to see none other than...

"Anti..." I whispered. He said nothing, smirking down at me as his green and black aura flared around him. There was another person beside him too, one that I knew I recognized.

"And friends," The other man hissed, showing his teeth in a wicked grin.

"Oh my God...FELIX?!" Sean shouted incredulously. He was right; In almost every way, the new opponent resembled the famed Pewdiepie in every way. But if he was with Anti... 'Felix' chuckled, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the scleras were black, his iris a gleaming gold with slit pupils like a snake.

"So close, Sean..." A hellish maelstrom of gold and black shadows lept from the floor at his feet, whipping crazily around him at high speed. "But no cigar."

The Felix doppleganger threw a hand into the air, fingers flung open wide. A stream of gold and black shot out of his hand straight for me. It was too fast, too sudden, and I knew I wouldn't have any time to dodge. I closed my eyes and braced myself. But the blow never came. I opened my eyes slowly to see Miishu with a wooden Caduceus held in both hands in front of her with the tip thrust into the stairs. Her weapon had a pinkish tint instead of white and emitted a soft rosy glow. The shadows were flowing around us like a rock in a river, repelled by her staff and dissipating harmlessly into the air behind us.

"You shall not pass!" She said in a mocking imitation of Gandalf before dissolving into giggles.

"You fucking little- " Anti started down the steps towards Miishu and I before being knocked back slightly by something too quick to see. He was clutching his shoulder, hunched over in pain. A silver arrow protruded from in between his fingers. "Fuck!"

We all turned to see Sean aiming his cross bow one-handed from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs glaring up at anti with abject hatred.

"The only one you need to worry about is me, Anti. Your ass is mine!"

Anti let out an insane giggle as he yanked the arrow out of his shoulder with a wince. "Likewise, Jack-ass. You'll PAY FOR THAT!"

His voice distorted horribly on his last words, his face contorting in rage as he lept over the entire set of stairs to were Sean stood, green and black smoke following in his wake. Miishu and I turned back just in time for her to block another attack from 'Felix'

"Ah-ah-ah," he said as he wagged a finger in the air, "eyes up here, darling."

"Jericho, go get the druid armor and weapons! I'll be waiting!" Miishu yelled, raising her staff as 'Felix' dissolved into shadows, shooting towards us. She swiped at him with the tip as he reformed mid-air in front of us, causing him to grunt and be knocked to the side as he was struck by a flash of rosy light. "Go, now!"

I didn't wait for her to ask twice. I dashed up to the armory, shoving open the door and going straight to the saphire armor. Oh God, how the hell was I going to carry this thing?! When I touched it, it began to glow, suddenly turning into pure saphire and shrinking down to transform into a single smooth crystal about the size of my palm.

"Huh. That works," I said as I shoved the newly formed gem into my pocket and strapped the Caduceus and sword onto my back. I stuck the wand in my back pocket and held the Scepter in my hand. "Alright, I got 'em!" I shouted as I burst back out into the foyer. As soon as I ran out, Miishu popped into existence by my side clutching a surprised Sean. She grabbed my arm as well.

"See ya later!" She said as her staff glowed again.

"NO!" 'Felix' roared as he flew at us.

But we were gone.


	36. Chapter 38

Dark POV:

I was wandering around the mansion grounds to brood alone when I heard a pop echo in my head like a gunshot. I stopped cold. That was the sound of the wards breaking. From the OUTSIDE.

I burst into my shadows, flying at break neck speed through the gardens. How had they found us?! This was the only safe haven that i was positive would grant us infallible asylum! I couldn't let anything happen to Jericho, not her.

If she died, I went with her.

I flew into the foyer towards the ward crack just in time to see Anti and another girl disappear with Jericho into thin air with a flash of pink light. That was Miishu's aura! What in the world was that meddling witch doing here, with Anti? I heard an enraged scream accompanying their vanishment before I could unleash my own: "NOOO!" My heart stopped when I saw the source.

There was Fell, crouched on the steps post-leap with a look of feral rage on his face, eyes glowing wildly as he glared at the place The trio just left vacant. Anti was sprawled out on the black tile at the base of the stairs with several arrows protruding from his torso as he groaned in pain.

Ah. That meant that the man Signe was with was Anti's vessel. I calmed myself, knowing she was probably safe with the witch; though I didn't know what she meant to accomplish by kidnapping Jericho, I'd known the crazy Hex monger for too long to suspect that her intentions were anything but pure. Crazy and haphazard, but pure.

I still wouldn't go easy on her later, though.

"...Fel 'iikh. What happened here? What did you do?" I asked quietly.

The Demon dubbed The Angel of Death tensed and slowly turned to pin his molten gaze on me. I made sure to flare my aura, sending threatening signals through the room. Fell's teeth glinted as he shot me a sly smirk, narrowing his serpentine eyes.

"Well if it isn't the 'Blood King' himself, fashionably late as always. Apologies for the mess, the party got a bit out of hand for a bit. ANTI! Stop lazing about, it's unbecoming," he suddenly snapped with a glance over his shoulder before turning back to grin at me conspiriatorily, "You're embarrassing me in front of our...host."

I almost laughed as Anti let loose another groan, struggling to stand. He was more worm than snake.

I folded my arms. "Of all the things I could call you, Fell, welcome is not one of them. What do you want with Jericho?" I stayed calm, restraining my emotions and holding back my urge to fly at him and rip him to pieces. If we fought, we'd likely lay waste to everything within a three mile radius.

He began chuckling softly before he crescendoed into a fit of laughter that shook his thin shoulders. "Oh fuck, FUCK you're precious! Oh BAAL, you have no idea do you? You clueless fuck!"

I raised a single eyebrow in response. I wouldn't be goaded into a battle until I knew where all the pieces lay.

"And just what has a creature like you in such hysterics?"

He wiped his eyes. "The thought of your face when the pieces finally fall together. We'll be there to see you fall, king. You won't even see it coming. Anti! Let's go. Pull yourself together."

He dissolved into smoke from his feet to his head; his golden eyes were the last thing to go. Anti did the same, the arrows falling to the floor. I watched them retreat through the wall and disappear from my sight. I sighed. At least Jericho was safe. Signe was almost as powerful as me. I was peeved that she'd taken action without consulting me first, but I was thankful that Jericho was taken by her rather than Fel 'iikh and Antiok.

That witch better know what she's doing.

Jericho's POV:

We reappeared just outside of a small town that was mainly just white clay houses. I looked around, disoriented at the sudden change in location. "Where are we?"

Miishu shrugged. "No idea."

Sean was on his hands and knees, looking a bit more pale than usual. He lifted his head weakly. "Ugh... what the hell..." Miishu helped him to his feet, putting his arm around her shoulders and looking like she wanted to laugh.

"You good there, Irish? This is the second time today!" She said in a teasing, but still sympathetic voice.

"I-I'm fine, just dis... ugh...disoriented. w-what do you mean you have no idea?"

She shrugged again from under his arm. "I meant what I said. Now do either of you have a safe place we could hide out for a bit? Somewhere they wouldn't expect us to go. I'm pretty popular, so any base of operations I have could easily be compromised."

I shook my head immediately. "Yeah, Definitely not. The only place would be my apartment, and they're bound to be watching that."

"Mmkay. Okee Dokee Irish, how about you?"

Sean took his arm back and thought for a minute before nodding slowly. "I might know a place..."

Mikhail's POV:

Finally!

They had just approved my departure from the fortress. I was going insane, barricaded in that thrice damned medical wing for two days. At the very least, the souvenirs I'd acquired from my little scuffle with Dark were gone, thanks to the medic mages.

I made a beeline straight for the Vienna airport. As I'd suspected, we'd received no word from the knights that the council sent to Iraq. Why the White King would ever dream of approving such a farce, I'll never know. They were likely already dead. If I caught a plane that night to a city outside Hillah, I could be there by the time the sun rises on Iraq... But I had to hurry.

I was just exiting the cathedral that was built over the underground fortress when I heard the one voice I would never have expected at that moment:

"Mikhail. I need your help."

Jericho's POV:

"I might know a place...how do you two feel about LA?"

I looked at him blankly. "What? Why?"

Miishu just grinned and giggled. "Oooooo, I know EXACTLY where we're going!" She grabbed both of our arms.

"Oh fuck, not again..." Sean groaned.

"Hang on to your panties, Irish! Here we go!"

We appeared in front of a gigantic mansion. It was pretty posh; it had a fountain, a big pool, and well kept green grass and shrubs all across the grounds. Miishu released me and held Sean up before he could fall again.

"Did I guess right, Irish?" She grinned.

Sean looked around. "Y-yep... this is- ugh- this is the place. J-just knock on the door..."

I followed his instructions, banging on the fancily crafted wood. There was a yelp followed by loud laughter, and I heard frantic barking after a few seconds as a dog ran up and jumped on the door, popping up behind the glass window every time it jumped.

"Mark! Jesus, go get your freakin dog, she made me drop the fruit punch!" Someone yelled from inside. I heard another person laughing.

"I know, that was hilarious!" The man said as he almost sobbed with laughter. "Okay, okay, I'll get her, calm down. Chica! Chica pica puppyyyy~!" The man cooked in a baby voice as his footsteps neared the door.

"Who dat, Chica? Who'dja find, pupper?" The dog stopped jumping on the door as the blurry figure of a man showed through the tinted glass designs. The door opened, setting off a fresh round of yaps from the adorable golden retriever.

"Yeeees?" The man said with a goofy grin. My jaw dropped through the concrete.

"MARKIPLIER!?"


	37. Chapter 39

He jumped back a little in surprise as I yelled. "Uhhhh...yep, That's-a-me! Now who are- OH MY GOD SEAN!" He yelled suddenly as he saw his buddy's limp form hanging off of the surprisingly strong Miishu.

Sean grinned weakly. "Heeeeeey, buddy. Mind if we come in for a sec?"

"Yeah, come on! Dude are you okay? You're literally as green as your hair." Mark said, taking Sean from Miishu and helping him in. "You guys are welcome to come in too, we can do introductions in a sec." He shot quickly over his shoulder.

I just stood there blankly before Miishu elbowed me. "Come on girl, you can ogle him later," she said with a wink as she bounded spritely after them. I shook myself out of it and did the same. I couldn't believe it. Mark. Markiplier. THE Markiplier.

Oh my God.

As Mark laid Sean out on the couch, another guy came around the corner carrying a soaking wad of red paper towels. "Hey, what happened, I heard yelli- Sean? The Fuck are you doing in America?"

I felt like I was going to faint.

"Really, Felix? I'm practically dyin' over here and that's the first thing you ask?" Sean shot at him sardonically.

"Don't be a pansy." Felix (THE Pewdiepie) grinned, tossing the wad of paper towels into a trash can in the corner of the living room.

"No, but seriously, what happened? You look like shit," Mark said, sitting in a chair across from him.

Felix leaned on the back of the couch, motioning to miishu and I. "And who're the Chicks? Did you have to pay them to follow you around? Cause they're out of your league, bro."

I blushed. Hard.

Miishu raised an eyebrow at Felix's statement. "No comment. Irish just has a little motion sickness, he'll be fine in a sec," she said, waving a dismissive hand in Sean's direction.

"As for us..." she stood up, spreading her arms proudly and flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "I'm Signe Hanson, Hex Witch and herbal extraordinaire! But my friends call me Miishu. That's Jericho," she pointed a thumb in my direction, " she's a Druid."

The silence was deafening as Miishu sat back down, satisfied that she'd made an impressive first impression. Chica, unaffected by the awkwardness, jumped up into her lap.

Sean covered his face with his hands and groaned. "You've GOT to stop doing that..." he mumbled through his fingers.

Mark blinked rapidly, eyebrows raised. Felix turned slowly to look at Sean from his position on the back of the couch. "Sean? Where the fuck did you find these girls?"

Sean peeked up at him from between his fingers. "Long story. A really, REALLY long story."

Mikhail's POV:

"Mikhail... I need your help."

I didn't even turn around. "With What? If I recall correctly, you kidnapped the focus of my twenty-year long mission not two days ago. What could you possibly need my help with? And what could you possibly do to convince me to do so?"

There was no answer for a beat. "Jericho was taken again."

I faced him finally, stone faced. "Are you telling me," I said slowly, "that you took her from the people who had sworn to protect her at all costs, whisked her away to another continent, and lost her barely two days later in some imbecilic fit of carelessness?"

"...Yes."

I closed my eyes and tamped down on my anger. I took a deep breath and pinned him with a serious glare.

" By whom?"

Jericho's POV:

After we attempted to make up several cockamammy stories that Mark and Felix easily saw through, they gave up trying to get the scoop out of us. They did agree to let us stay the night though, giving me and Miishu a room, and Sean another. I could hear Felix and Mark record a horror let's play at one point, the telltale screams and giggle fits echoing through the walls. They wanted Sean to record with them, but he made the excuse that he was still feeling queasy.

The three of us, the Druid, the witch, and the man, sat in the living room as the other boys had a good time. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

"Okay, first off: so who are you and how do we know we can trust you?" Sean asked Miishu as soon as we were alone.

She raised her eyebrows. "Other than the fact that I saved your sorry butts from getting pounded into demon chow? You don't. And I told you, I'm Miishu. That's all you need to know. In the paranormal world, knowledge is power, and I learned long ago never to give out info Willy nilly to any old joe. I have to be careful too, you know."

Sean and I shared a doubtful look. "Okay, fine, we'll put a pin in that one, I guess," I said, "but I've got a question now." I turned to Sean.

"How did you become a knight?"

"What? Oh, I'm not a knight, no. I'm a hunter, that's different."

"But Mikhail said he was a Knights hunt supernatural things, right?"

Sean's eyebrows shot up. "Wait! You know Mikhail? How?"

"How do YOU know him?" I asked, mirroring his expression. Sean sat back and rubbed his hand over his face, groaning.

"He's been a bloody thorn in my side nearly the entire time I've been in the game. The council always sends one of their knights to check up on the hunters, see what they're doing, give them tips, or in some cases, to kick them off a job that they don't want us snooping into. It's so fucking annoying!" He growled, "and I swear to God, it's always. Mikhail."

"Okay, pause!" I said loudly, "what is the council, the resistance, the knights, all of it! I keep getting these words thrown at me and I don't even know what they are!"

Miishu, who had been quietly observing our exchange, finally spoke up. "I got this. AHEM!"

(Author's note: I'll just put up her explanation in the next chapter; but the story's getting good and I really wanna keep going so...)

I blinked. Wow. That certainly cleared some things up. Mark and Felix came back into the room, laughing and railing on each other. Sean smiled at his buddies.

"'Sup, guys? Good game?"

"The friggin' best!" Mark crowed, wiping tears from his eyes, "dude, you shoulda been there!"

"Nah, he was too busy bein' a lil' BITCH!" Yelled Felix, swatting the back of Sean's head, making Mark guffaw and Sean leap over the back of the couch to get him back, tackling him to the floor.

Chica yapped and tackled them both, leading to yowls of pain and a laughing Mark trying to pull her off of the hold she had on Felix's shirt. Chica ended up letting go (after ripping Felix's shirt in her exitement) but not before accidentally stepping on Sean's sensitive bits when jumping off of the pile to get to Mark, knocking him to the floor and, of course, doing the same to him.

Miishu and I laughed so long and hard that we cried and I was pretty sure we got the a.n workout of a lifetime. Jesus, I hadn't laughed that much since all of this began!

After everything settled down, we decided it was time to retreat. We were all tired, especially me and Sean, and we needed to get off our feet.

"Alrighty then, 'night! Come on chica pica!" Mark said as we all retired to our rooms.

"Yeah, nice to meet you two, as weird as you are," Felix added snarkily as he did the same.

When Miishu and I were laying in our shared bed, side by side, I lay staring up at the ceiling for a long, long time. I was thinking about my old life; my parents who weren't my parents, my teachers and grades that seemed so inconsequential now, and the music I so desperately missed.

I refused to think about the other thing I missed at the moment.

Miishu sat up and sighed into the darkness. "I can feel your anxiety from here, it's keeping me awake. Don't make me hit you with a sleeping jinx."

"No!" I sat up quickly, making her arch a delicate eyebrow. "I mean... I've just had enough of magic for now, you know?"

She nodded and laid back down. "Well go sleep on the couch then; I'm not gonna feel like a dung beetle's behind in the morning because of you."

"Yeah, yeah, okay..." I got up, grabbing an extra blanket that Mark had laid out and brought it with me to the living room, flopping down on the couch. I didn't lay down though, just resumed my brooding thoughts. I didn't think things were ever gonna go back to normal.

I leaned back into the soft leather cushions and curled up, trying to get warm. I sleepily closed my eyes and began drifting off...

And then an ice cold hand clamped down over my mouth, silencing my scream.


	38. Chapter 40

I let out a muffled scream as I grabbed at the hand over my mouth, trying to loosen the grip. I heard him curse softly as I bit his hand, but he didn't let up. I was pulled up into a sitting position as they climbed on the couch and straddled me. I felt a cold grip around both my hands and my feet as they were each bound together, at my ankles and my wrists.

I struggled for another minute before letting my head fall back into the couch, breathing hard through my nose. I glared at the faceless dark form in front of me, wishing I could call upon the power that had saved me twice before. But as much as I tried...nothing.

I heard a quiet 'shhhhhhh...' come floating out of the darkness before me. I considered biting the hand again when the lamp beside the couch flicked on.

Dark's POV, an hour prior:

I heaved a weary sigh; he wasn't going to like this. He might even be so angry he'd show a little emotion.

"...She was taken by Signe, the Witch."

Mikhail's eyebrow twitched a bit. Oh, he was livid. "What is she planning?"

"...I have no idea."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and burrowing his eyebrows, trying to calm himself down. If I were a lesser being, I might be afraid.

"Fine. Fine. And how do you propose we correct your mistake? What do you need me for?"

I crossed my arms. "For one, I need you to tell me everything that you know about Jericho and the Council's intentions with her. As for the second..." I sighed, looking away, "we made a powerful team twenty years ago, Mikhail. There's no one else that could stand by my side, paranormal or not. There's no one else with honorable intentions that I can trust. And there has never been anyone else so like a brother to me. And coming from a heartless bastard, that's saying a lot."

Mikhail examined me, stone faced as ever. "...You've changed, King."

I let out a harsh laugh. "I've BEEN changed, Reaper. In some ways, not willingly. But it happened nonetheless. We can't talk here; meet me at the south river dock in two hours at eight o'clock sharp. I have something to do that can't wait."

Mikhail nodded. "Fine. I'll be there."

I didn't respond, simply shadow cloaking myself and flitting away through the night. I knew exactly where Jericho was, it was obvious; I just had to get to her.

Jericho's POV:

The lamp behind the couch flicked on. I squeaked in surprise.

"Hello Darling," said Mark, grinning with a wicked expression that I'd only seen on... 'Dark?' I whispered in my head. Mark's grin widened in confirmation; I knew it. This might be Mark's body, but Dark had the reigns.

"You're clever as always, Jericho."

'And you're annoying and smug as always,' I shot at him, trying to sound as menacing as possible inside my head, 'Get. Off.'

He chuckled softly, bowing his head a bit before looking back at me through the hair that had fallen into his face with the movement, laughter in his eyes.

"Have we been here before? I feel like we have," he teased.

'didn't end up so well for you last time, did it? Shove off and get out of Mark's meat suit if you don't want a repeat.' I thought as my eyes bore into his like lasers.

"That won't happen. The difference between that night in your bedroom and now is that you don't hate me. Your hatred and fear triggered a defense that you wouldn't know what to do with otherwise, much less activate it on your own."

His smile reached his red predator's eyes. "You're stuck with me for now, darling."

'you're wrong.'

"Oh?" He pulled back.

'...I do hate you.'

His bloody eyes flashed with pain before his expression smoothed once more. "No, you don't."

'Go to hell!' I mentally shouted.

If my words hurt him, he didn't show it. "Fine then. Show me."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He lowered his head and pinned me to the couch with his gleaming eyes.

"Show me how much you loathe my existence. Take your revenge, hurt me, make me suffer. Send me to hell, Druid."

Fine. If he was cocky enough to me a chance, then I'd take it. I threw him one last glare before scrunching my eyes shut and digging deep into my mind to find that energy, that well of power that had given me the strength to defeat him that night. I delved deep, concentrating more intensely than I ever did in my entire twenty years looking for that feeling, that drive, that intensity of fiery emotion. I tried to dig up that rage, that terror... And came up empty.

I opened my eyes, looking up at Dark helplessly. It wasn't there. It just wasn't.

Why?

He slowly smiled, looking at me with a bittersweet tenderness that made my heart twinge a little.

"You can't, can you? I know, I know, you wish you could..."

He laid his forehead against mine. It was warm again, as was the hand on my mouth.

"You wish with all your sweet soul that you could hate me, but you don't. You can't, just as I never could you." He removed his hand from my mouth, shifting it to my cheek.

My eyes filled with tears that didn't belong there.

"You hurt me, Dark," I whispered, my voice hitching despite my efforts to keep it steady.

He shut his dark eyes and turned his face away for a moment, looking almost as if he were in physical pain. After a moment, he pressed his soft lips to my forehead.

"I know. I know." He murmured against my skin before drawing back a bit and cradling my face in both of his warm hands.

"Never again. No matter what happens between us, no matter what you do. Never again." He vowed, brushing my hair behind my ear and stoking over my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.

I didn't know what to say. His face was so fervent, his voice so soft and sincere, his eyes so filled with the power of his promise. What was I supposed to do with that? What COULD I do with that? I should be fighting, I should be screaming, I should be doing anything but this: listening to him. Giving him another chance.

Letting him love me.

His eyes flicked to my open mouth before he lowered his lips to mine.

Where his last kiss had been possessing, demanding, even savage, this exchange was tentative, slow, and sweet. He didn't take anymore than I gave, only responding when I did. This was what I had always imagined my first kiss would be like, if I ever got to have one. I'd just never imagined that it would be with someone like...

He moved to the side, pulling me with him and switching places with me in one smooth motion so that I was straddling him, pulled flush against his chest with my thighs on either side of his. He only broke the kiss for a moment before putting one hand on the back of my neck and another low on my back and pulling me back down to him. My hands flew up to rest on his chest as my lips moved against his.

I didn't realize that the rest of my body was moving against him until his touch slid to my hips, his hands following the gentle rocking motion. I stopped and pulled back, my cheeks heating as I yanked my hands back and turned my face away in embarrassment. I almost climbed off of him when he grabbed my hands and placed them on his shoulders. He pulled me back to him, holding me close.

"Don't stop," he murmured softly before recapturing my lips. His hands returned to my hips, guiding them gently back and forth as he rocked himself against me as well. I moaned lowly at the friction, causing him to laugh softly into the kiss. One of his hands rose up my back, lifting my shirt as it went. It moved to my front as it went higher, and before I had time to register what was even happening, his hand was cupping my bare breast that I'd left braless under my shirt to go to bed.

I broke the kiss in shock. We stared at each other, not moving a muscle. He searched my face for a moment before gently brushing his thumb over the sensitive skin of my nipple and using his other hand to push my hips down as he slowly circled his upward to meet them.

My mouth flew open in a silent gasp as my body went practically boneless, leaning into his. He chuckled darkly and resumed his minstrations as he moved his lips to my neck, to that juncture at the top of my shoulder that he knew would make me weak.

He slowly stroked and squeezed the soft, pliant skin of my breast as he rocked me against him, pressing open-mouthed kisses and nips to the sensitive skin of my throat. With a final graze of his teeth, he began kissing me again.

His hand left my breast suddenly, sliding down my torso. I was confused until I felt my jeans unbutton and unzip themselves, making way for his hand to continue on its downward path. I pulled my lips away from his once more, closing my eyes and hiding my face in his shoulder. My stomach was fluttering and I could feel myself trembling. He stopped when he reached the cleft of my legs, hovering over my center.

"Jericho, are you...shaved?" He asked slowly, a smile in his voice.

I found it difficult to respond, my voice wavery. "Umm..."

He moved his hand farther down, teasingly brushing up and down the very outer edges a couple times. My breath hitched as I pressed my face into his neck and gripped his shoulders, the fabric of his shirt clenched tight in my fists. He brought his other hand to my chin, lifting it so that The was facing him.

"Jericho...open your eyes..."

His voice was deep and low, and its effect on me ran like hot liquid scorching through my veins, making me melt in his arms. I kept my eyes closed though, too nervous to look straight at him.

"Sweetheart, I can wait forever," he said, sounding as if he wanted to laugh, "Come now, be brave for me..."

I inhaled as the all too familiar feel of his shadows slid up and around me, caressing me and dancing like liquid fire and ice across my skin. I trembled in his arms at the sensation.

"Look at me, love." He moved his fingers over me again. I couldn't hold out any longer; my eyes fluttered open, Scarlett clashing with ice blue as I met his smiling gaze.

He moved his free hand to my shoulder to keep me where I was. His smile turned a tiny bit wicked as his eyes narrowed mischievously, making me nervous.

"There's my brave girl..." He purred, his eyes glinting.

"Wha-" I began to question him when my words were cut off as my breath caught in my throat.

He'd begun moving his fingers against me, more strongly than before. They dipped between my lower lips teasingly before retreating and resuming their stroking pattern. His eyes were focused on my face the entire time, watching closely as my expressions changed. I wanted to close my eyes, to just lose myself in the feeling, but his eyes held mine captive, preventing my heavy lids from falling.

Suddenly, he delved deeper. He extended one finger from the rest and gently circled my entrance with his fingertip. I furrowed my brows at the new feeling, panting softly as I met Dark's eyes. His mouth twitched into a little smirk as he remained intent on my face.

"...I lied when I said fear is the most powerful emotion, you know."

I listened intently, hanging on his every word.

"There's only one thing that can overpower terror, and that, lovely Jericho..." He moved his finger up to swirl around what I knew was my clit. I tensed up, jerking my hips involuntarily and letting out a little cry that I couldn't stop. He made a deep humming sound before chuckling lowly.

"...That is pleasure."

He stood, picking me up with him as I squeaked a bit in surprise and laying me down on the couch long ways. He followed me down, climbing over me, once again putting his knee between mine before I could close them and capturing my hands in his an over my head. He held me there for a heart-pounding moment before removing his hands, using them to prop himself up instead. Assuming my hands were free, I began to bring them down and realized I still couldn't. I craned my neck to look up at them and saw silver and black shadows holding them together where Dark's hands had been. My eyes shot to his nervously, wondering what he was about to do. He closed his eyes, burying his nose in my neck and inhaling deeply. He lifted his head and grinned wickedly at me.

"Of course, a little fear on the side never hurt anything."

He once again trailed his hand down from my chest, to my hips, to cup me between my legs. My breathing quickened once more as I met his confident, hungry gaze nervously. He once again parted my center and extended his middle finger to circle my entrance But this time, he didn't stop there. He slowly penetrated my core with his finger up to his first knuckle. I looked up into his expression of fierce satisfaction, waiting.

I think I stopped breathing altogether when he sank his long finger into me, pausing for a few moments when he could go no further. I think my heart may have stopped when he reversed direction and repeated the motion, making me whimper a bit.

I grabbed his wrist with both hands, halting his motion and making his bloody, half lidded gaze travel languidly up my body to mine once more. He studied me, cocking his head at me as I laid trembling beneath him. He leaned down so that his nose nearly touched mine, propping himself above me on his elbow. He was looking at me so steadily that I thought I might drown in the deep velvet pools of his crimson eyes.

He narrowed his gaze a bit as if considering something before I felt him curl his finger in a 'come hither' motion, rubbing against the anterior wall of my core. My hands loosened their grip as my head fell back, eyes closing at the pleasure that shot through me.

"Mmm...That's what I thought," he purred, kissing the stretch of throat that I'd just revealed.

He formed a leisurely rhythm, curling his finger in and out of me deeply, repeating the motion while simultaneously thrusting in and out. He added a second finger and gradually picked up his pace, grinning and capturing my moans with his mouth.

A fierce need inundated me, screaming through my bloodstream as I lifted my arms and slid my fingers through his hair, holding on as he searched my mouth. His kiss was hungry and persuassive, causing my pulse to beat with insatiable need.

The friction that was building up between my thighs caused me to buck my hips against his hand as he built up speed. I broke from the kiss with a desperate gasp as the pressure built, throwing my head to the side as my body tensed up around his skilled fingers. He lowered his head, tugging softly at my earlobe with his teeth and chuckling as I whimpered.

"It's okay, Jericho. Let go for me, darling, let me feel you."

I came apart at his words, closing my eyes and throwing my head back, letting out a muffled scream into the hand that was suddenly shoved over my mouth. I saw stars behind my eyelids as I was struck by the intensity of the feeling, the pure ecstasy of that release. He kept pulsing his fingers into me in a steady rhythm, keeping the orgasm flowing over me in powerful waves.

When it finally began to wan, he slowed down and gradually stopped. I opened my eyes blearily and watched him retract his hand and bring his fingers to his mouth, raising a brow at me in a silent dare as he sucked my essence off his monochrome fingers.

I let my head fall back into the couch, putting a hand over my eyes. "Oh my God..."

He let out an abbreviated laugh at my words. "No, but close," he said in a tone that positively dripped with self satisfaction.

I felt the cushions depress on either side of me. I uncovered my eyes just in time for him to give me one last kiss on the lips before withdrawing from the couch. He snapped his fingers, and my clothes were suddenly re-righted as though they had never been disturbed. He bent down to where I hadn't moved and placed his hand on my cheek once more, his smirk gone.

"I'm going to leave you with the witch for now, Jericho. I've known her for long enough to know that she's hardly capable of ill will. But I will be coming back for you, and in my own body..."

I shuddered as I belatedly remembered he'd been using Mark's body this entire time.

"Because as fun as this was, this is not all I want from you. I want everything, not just your body, but your mind and soul and love as well. You gave me the ability to love; now I want you to come to love me." He kissed my forehead before straightening.

"I'll be hanging up the meat suit now. Don't worry, Mark will have no memory of tonight. But good luck with trying not to be awkward tomorrow morning." He smirked at my dumbfounded expression, walking behind the couch to exit the room.

"I'll see you soon, Jericho. Good night."

I felt heavy all of a sudden, my eyes shutting of their own volition. I knew he'd probably just interfered, but I was too tired to resist. As I drifted off, I heard a whispered, "Good night, love."

And everything went dark.

Dude. Holy crap that was intense, like what the hell even is my brain at two AM? Jesus guys I'm sorry ? ﾟﾘﾂ

-author


	39. Chapter 41

(Yo. Author here. I'm changing the place that Mikhail and Dark are meeting because of reasons.)

Mikhail's POV:

I strode through the city streets with heavy feet. It was a long walk from St. Stephen's cathedral to the Rathaus, about an hour and a half walk through the brisk autumn air. I didn't mind the trip at all, preferring to be alone with my thoughts for a time.

(This is St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna)

I couldn't help but distrust Dark. I'd never fully trusted him in the first place, even when we were allies. Perhaps we were never really allies at all, with an amity born more out of mutual benefit than anything else. When last I saw him over three decades ago, we'd parted on bitter terms, and he had an extraordinary talent for holding grudges. I didn't know why I was being so foolish as to give him a chance when he was just as likely to put a knife in my back as he was to use it to fight by my side.

Then again, I may have deserved it.

Jerusalem, Palestine, Thirty two years prior:

We fought fluidly and with ease, working like a well oiled machine, I with my twin daggers and he with his fiery black and silver blade. We moved around each other, both of us communicating our intentions wordlessly to the other through both our minds and bodies.

I ducked as he swung over my head, relieving the Naga behind me of her scaled arm even as she raised it to plunge her blade into my back. In the next moment I whirled around and slit her throat as she screeched, her voice devolving into sick gurgles. I kept my momentum from the spin, Launching myself into a flying roundhouse kick aimed at a wraith hovering over Sayiya's head as he crouched down and shot forward to thrust his blade through an Angel's abdomen. He didn't bother to reverse his motion, instead swiping it to the side, ripping the Angel nearly in half in the process as he decapitated yet another Naga.

(twenty six year old Mikhail, but with brown eyes)

(Dark/Sayiya, just without the ears and wings.)

We were back to back now, senses on high alert as we each saw not only out of our own eyes, but those of the other as well. We both knew we couldn't last much longer; even as formidable a force as our combined strength couldn't stand against an army of over three hundred denizens of the dark races.

"Where the devil is Miishu? She's supposed to have been here by now!" I growled lowly to Sayiya as the creatures pressed in ever closer.

I could feel his annoyance through the link. "I know. we'll never get to baal 'iikh if we can't even bypass his mindless hounds." He cursed as he swatted a wraith from the air with his sword, slicing it clean in two at its torso. "That brat is going to pay for this," he hissed.

"Pay for what, red? Saving your ungrateful behinds?" came a teasing voice from above our heads.

We swung our heads upward as the creatures around us did the same, a look of befuddlement on most of their faces.

(A fifteen year old Miishu/Signe, but without the sword and shield, and with strawberry blonde hair. Witches live longer than humans through magic, so she'd be 52 by the time she met Sean and Jericho, but still look about like this. Because I said so.)

She was floating fifteen feet above us a bit to the side as if she were standing on an invisible platform. She held her staff out vertically in front of her. "Sorry boys, I got a bit caught up with Baal's boy toy. God, that garden snake can be a pain in the ass." She raised her staff and slammed it down before her by her feet on the invisible surface.

"رمي الظهر!"

The fifty or so dark beasts that remained fell where they stood, falling unconscious. Both I and Ayiya breathed a sigh of relief, sheathing our weapons. "We'd already downed about two hundred-" The Demon started, attempting to explain our helplessness to the smirking witch.

"I killed one hundred and eleven. You killed ninety eight." I said, already striding off briskly across the bloodied field in the direction that Baal 'iikh had gone, towards the edge of town. we were just outside of Jerusalem, but still far enough out that we could see the the city rise above us on its plateu in the gentle Judaean mountains. I ignored Sayiya's growl and broke into a run.

"We need to hurry. He cannot get to the council before us. If he gets into the library-"

"I can help with that." Signe suddenly appeared before us, stopping us in our tracks. Ayiya shook off his surprise first.

"And just why the hell did you not tell us you could port?" He asked stonily.

"You never asked. Grab on, and hold tight; it's a new skill, I'm not sure if I have it down pat yet."

Before either I or Ayiya could protest, we were gone, leaving only an echo of her giggle in the desert air.

Present day, Mikhail's POV

I shook myself out of my memories when I realized I had made it to the Rathaus.

(This is the Rathaus in Vienna.)

I activated my cloaking charm and shot up the side of the building, grappling my way to the top. I climbed to the top of the center steeple to wait, watching the sky as the stars gently rolled by. I didnt have long to wait before a writhing swath of shadows climbed its way up the steeple to my right. The shadows peeled away, revealing Ayiya...Dark. I didn't face him, still staring up at the night sky.

"What do you know about the girl, Mikhail?"

Temple mount, Jerusalem, Thirty two years prior:

We reappeared in the center of the temple mount, just outside of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Baal 'iikh was running through the entrance to the mosque. He looked back and cursed when he saw us, devolving into shadows and slithering through one of the arched entryways quicker than before.

"NO!" I yelled as we gave chase. If he got to the Carrier...

(This is the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Palestine.)

The floor was devoid of prayer mats in preparation for the battle that I'd warned the Palestinian branch of. A battalion of seventy knights were standing before Baal in a battle ready formation that was headed by Meesha, who was at that time the general of the Middle eastern regiment. I knew that the knights wouldn't be enough to hold Baal off though.

(twenty eight year old Meesha, in Knight uniform)

(Baal/Fell but with black and gold armor or something)

Baal grinned and shot forward at the same time we did, intent on stopping him before he had a chance to reach the knights. This was folly, of course; he'd downed a dozen before we'd moved as many feet. Meesha screamed in rage for her fallen comrades as she charged the demon with us while the knights kept their distance with mainly projectile weapons.

It was a bloodbath.

Present day, Mikhail's POV

I waited a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking. I wasn't even sure if I should impart the truth to one such as him, enemy OR brother. Only the five knights of the high council were privy to the closely guarded secrets he was asking me to reveal, the keeping of which led to his death all those years ago. But I could think of no other more equipped to defend a Druid from Baal... from FELL than her own Demon bondmate. They were much stronger together, and he was our best chance.

As risky as it was, I had to assume that he wouldn't use this information for his own gain, hurting Jericho in the process. No, the bond would prevent that. The council was still completely unaware of Dark's place in Jericho's life. They wouldn't approve of my actions, but then again, when had I ever approved of theirs?

I sighed. "As you know, Demons are bound to human hosts by an incredibly powerful spell composed of a series of Druid runes over five hundred thousand years ago. It's also common knowledge in our world that the exact function of those same runes were a mystery, the likes of which has never been seen before or since; one of the most coveted secrets of the paranormal world."

"Oh please, Mikhail. Tell me something I don't know. What does Jericho have to do with the lost runes?" Dark urged me on impatiently. I closed my eyes, praying to the countless Gods I didn't even believe in that I was making the right call.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, "The Bloodbath of Palestine"

The Knights never stood a chance. Within thirty minutes, even with all of our efforts, Miishu, Ayiya, Signe, and I were the only ones left standing, panting and sweating, our magic low and shields weak as the battle took its toll. At least Baal was in the same state; as powerful as he was, even he couldn't escape an ordeal like this without injury.

The fallen one's lips twitched upward in a mirthless grin as he chuckled and wiped the blood from his mouth. Most of it wasn't his. Baal's only weapon of choice was his own body, so most of his battles left him soaked with gore from close range combat.

"Does The King even know why you're truly here, Mikhail? Or is he as clueless as the rest of us were?" He addressed me smugly, even as he panted. Ayiya answered for me.

"To destroy you. We have scores to settle with you, Baal," He snarled menacingly.

Signe, Meesha and I exchanged uneasy looks. Signe had originally wanted to tell Ayiya at least some of what we knew, but Meesha forbade it. Seeing as she was of the highest standing within our mission group, her word was law. I began to get a bit nervous as Baal chuckled.

"That's cute. Really King, are you actually so thick that you'd believe the resistance would send their highest caliber to quell one demon? Please. Even I'm not that important."

Ayiya paused for a moment as he considered this. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. 'Is this true, Mikhail?'

I didn't answer, but bolstered my mind against him when he tried to probe deeper. That was all the answer he needed. His red eyes brightened and narrowed at the unspoken confirmation. "What are you planning, Reaper?"

"Oh dear," Baal laughed gleefully, "Trouble in paradise, boys? I suppose it serves you right, King, for thinking for even a second that you could trust a human Knight. What, did you think you were allies? brothers?" He scoffed. "Please. They plan to kill you after you kill me. That's all they need you for; a Demon to put another one down for good. Who knows? In twenty years, you may just be their next target."

"Is this truth as well? Were you planning, after three years, to betray me?" Ayiya hissed, turning from Baal to the three of us.

Signe visibly wilted. "Red, I...I wanted to tell you..."

"Then why didn't you, Witch?!" The Demon roared, his powerful aura blazing wildly around him in his fury. "You're no better!"

Signe flinched and said no more. She was too kind for her own good.

"I forbade it as mission leader," Meesha said calmly, unfazed by his outburst, "It is our duty as the resistance to keep your kind under control."

Ayiya fairly screamed with rage as he flew straight for her, sword raised in an attack that would be too powerful to evade at Meesha's current level. Her eyes widened as she braced herself. His sword swung down in a deadly black and silver blur and-

He stopped cold, eyes wide and mouth open in shock as he looked down at the cursed dagger protruding from his chest over his heart. I heard Signe's horrified gasp behind me. The Demon's eyes rose to meet mine as I stood before him, my face cold and expressionless despite the intense regret I felt. I looked looked into his eyes as I plunged the other dagger up underneath his ribs to join the other in his heart.

He coughed, his sword clattering loudly to the ground as his arms fell limp at his sides, A line of blood trickling from the corner of his open mouth. His face contorted in pain as he lifted a hand to my neck, too weak to squeeze as the magic from the daggers destroyed him from the inside.

"You... Will pay for this... Reaper." He hissed quietly, so that only I could hear.

I swiftly yanked the daggers back. He crumpled to the blood soaked floor, never breaking eye contact.

"...I know," I said softly as the crimson light faded from his eyes.

Baal laughed loud and long as my comrade of three years bled out on the floor. I turned my gaze to him, showing no reaction to Ayiya's death.

"And to think he died without knowing the best part. This is too much!" He snickered.

"I doubt very seriously you've told your lap dog the whole story either, Baal," Meesha said levelly. She hid her shaken state well. Baal grinned.

"Ah yes, my little student. He should be appearing any second now..."

"The Snake is dead. I killed him," Signe shot back at him. From her voice, I could tell that she wasn't hiding her emotions nearly as well as Meesha.

"That's what you think, BRAT!" Came a voice from the rafters. Antioch dropped from the ceiling, clutching a woman tied by her hands and feet. My heart sunk when I realized who it was.

Arihaan...The carrier.

(Anti/Antioch, without the ears and with green eyes.)

Baal smirked at our looks of horror. "I just love it when a plan comes together. Well it's been fun, but we really must be going. We have a mind to crack," He snickered. He motioned for Anti to retreat.

"Go. I'll hold them off."

Anti nodded and leapt off with The Carrier. We were about to make chase when something happened that none of us would have expected. Arihaan grabbed one of Antioch's knives out of the sheath on his hip with her bound hands and, screaming into the gag, thrust it first into Anti's neck and then into her own, moving so quickly it was hard to follow.

The green Demon stopped and dropped to the ground in shock, gagging and spitting blood as he held his torn throat, but the damage was done. Arihaan was already gone, blood spurting from her slender neck and stained her face and fair white hair as her ice blue eyes stared far off into the distance at something the rest of us couldn't see.

The Fallen One roared in anger and shifted, trying to escape over our heads after the sunk cost. He was careless. Signe raised her Caduceus, casting a rosy pink shadow ward around his form that trapped him in place and prevented him from shifting back. "Hurry! I can't hold him for long!" she yelled, shaking with the strain.

We didn't have another Demon to put him down permanently anymore, but this would have to do. I shot high into the air, jinxing my cursed daggers even as I leaped. I raised the daggers above my head and brought them down with crushing force, shattering the ward and slicing through the writhing shadows within it. There was a horrible ear-rending screech as the gold-black smoke churned more wildly before before bursting and dissipating into the air.

I just barely landed in a crouch on my feet, the last reserves of my energy spent. Signe slid to her knees, gasping for air. She had probably started using her own life force to keep Baal restrained. My gaze slid to the Carrier lying prone on the floor across the temple, her slender, lily white form stained with the blood from both her and Antioch, who laid sprawled beside her.

I screamed and slammed my fist into the floor, cracking it. We had succeeded in keeping the Druid Runes from the Demon's grasp, but at the cost of the Druid carrying those runes and someone I had seen as an ally, Meesha's morals be damned.

Another vessel for the Druid and runes would have to be found.

Present day Vienna:

"Those runes were never truly lost...Ayiya."

Fun fact: Aarihaan is the name used for the ancient city Jericho in the middle east. Another fun fact: The name Jericho means "Place of concealment." BOOM.


	40. Chapter 42

Jericho's POV:

We sat around the table at nine o'clock with our choice of cocoa puffs, frosted flakes, lucky charms, or honey bunches of oats. Nobody really felt like cooking, so we just got out some junk breakfast food and dug in. I was surprised to find that Mark was a morning person. That actually turned out to be unfortunate for me, because every time he tried to talk to me I would blush to an insane degree and hardly be able to answer. He seemed a bit confused but took it all in stride, being his usual lovable self. I was inwardly cursing Dark the entire morning. It took awhile for me to be able to act normally around Mark.

Felix came in a bit later at nine thirty with an odd look on his face. He stopped in the doorway for a moment, staring at Sean.

"Uh, you okay there dude? Not quite woken up yet?" Mark asked.

Felix didn't say anything for a moment, but turned and walked out of the room, returning a couple seconds later holding Sean's crossbow and my Caduceus. Me and Sean both choked on our cereal.

"Sean...What are these?" Felix asked without inflection.

Sean and I stayed silent, throwing each other nervous looks. Miishu opened her mouth, but Sean and I said, "Don't you dare!" in unison, making her snap it shut.

Mark pushed his bowl away, Looking at us in a confused way. "Is this like a new hobby or something? cosplay?"

Felix leaned the Caduceus on the wall and put the crossbow on the table a little harder than necessary. "Does this look like cosplay to you, Mark? Look at it. This spring is locked way too tight. look at the arrowhead, it's fucking silver! I checked dude," He said, raising his hand, before we could ask how he knew.

"I'm Swedish, I know the difference between crap and quality and this? This thing?"

He picked the crossbow up, walked to one side of the room, and shot it. It blew a hole clean through the opposite wall. He walked through to the room the arrow had disappeared into despite Mark's protest and motioned us to follow.

The arrow hadn't only shot straight through the kitchen wall- it had blown through the next wall as well. We found the arrow laying a couple feet into the first guest room, perfectly intact and without a scratch. Felix turned back to look at our stunned faces and Sean's slightly guilty one.

"This thing is meant to leave no survivors," He finished. "Now what the fuck is going on, Sean?"

Mark turned to him as well. "Sean...?" He said, sounding more worried than angry like Felix was. Sean groaned, turning around and letting his forehead bang into the wall.

"Fuck my fuckin' life. I dunno why I thought it would be a good idea to come here..." He thumped his head against the wall again.

Felix threw down the weapon. "GOD DAMMIT Sean, can you just FUCKING-"

"IT'S TRUE!" Sean roared, whirling around and glaring at his friends. "IT'S ALL TRUE, OKAY!? SHE'S A WITCH, SHE'S A DRUID, I'M A HUNTER, AND WE'RE CAUGHT IN A BATTLE WITH THREE DEMONS THAT LOOK JUST FUCKING LIKE US!"

He ran his hand through his hair, breathing hard as he turned back around and put his forearm to the wall for support. I'd never seen him look so tired before. The tension in the room was palpable. Mark broke the silence.

"Do you know how crazy you sound right now?" He asked quietly, sounding a bit scared. I put a hand on Sean's shoulder.

"Do you want me to prove it, or do you want to leave? We can still leave them out of this," I said.

Sean shook his head, his face still hidden. "No. Do it. If Anti and that other Demon-"

"His name is Fell," Corrected Miishu.

"Whatever. If Anti and Fell come after him, they'd be mince meat. It'll give them a fighting chance if they know." Sean said, his fists clenched so hard that his hands shook.

I nodded and went to get the Caduceus from the kitchen, the only weapon I'd ever fought with. I returned and stood before Mark and Felix, placing the tip on the ground before me. I closed my eyes and delved into my mind for the power that was getting easier and easier to grasp.

"Seriously, what the fuck? This is fucking crazy." Felix scoffed. Mark stayed silent.

I felt it well up in the space behind my eyes, in my hands and feet and chest. I raised my head and inhaled deeply as it flowed out and around me. "Wait, Felix look," I heard Mark say.

I opened my eyes to see mark pulling Felix's shoulder around, staring at me in awe. When Felix turned, his face held much the same expression. The world was tinged in silver and blue, and I realized I was looking through my own aura.

"What the hell is that around her? What's wrong with her eyes?" Felix whispered, fear replacing his anger.

Miishu put a hand on my shoulder. "You can stop now. I know it feels good, but they get the point."

I exhaled, letting it all go in a rush. The swirling blue lights dissipated, and I felt bereft at their loss. It had made me feel like my mom's ring did, safe and protected. Mark sat heavily on the sofa, putting his face in his hands. Felix faced the other direction, running a hand through his hair.

"That was just about my reaction to finding out magic exists," I said sympathetically.

Sean huffed out a humorless little laugh as he watched them. "Mine too. More violent, but mine too. Guys, in case you're wondering, that's what happened to my old girlfriend that I told you about. She was killed by a Demon. That's how real it got for me, and I'd like to spare you guys from finding out the hard way as well."

"Okay. Okay we believe you. Actually we kind of have to. start from the beginning, tell us everything," Mark said with the most serious face I'd ever seen in any of his videos.

We all sat down for the long haul.

Back in Vienna at night (different time zone)

I waited patiently for Dark to take in everything I just said. He was silent for a full ten minutes before he finally spoke.

"So the resistance, or rather those of the high council, have known all about the Druid runes for years."

I nodded.

"And that the scribe of those runes cast the same spell on herself as she did the Demons, forcing her to reincarnate at the same rate that they did in human hosts."

I nodded again.

"And Jericho is the reincarnation of the original scribe, giving her incredible mental defenses simply because she instinctually knows that she must protect those runes at any cost."

I nod once more.

"And that's the reason Fell was after that girl. Arihaan... The old Jericho."

He doesn't wait for my affirmation this time, letting his head fall back against the steeple. "In the words of Jericho herself...this is so fucked up."


	41. Chapter 43

Here's the gist of what Jericho read in the scroll about Druids, Demons, and their abilities.

DRUIDS: A benign race of semi-immortal beings that feed off of positive emotions as well as an omnivorous diet. Like Demons, their creation is a mystery. A Druid child will appear every couple centuries or so with no account of how they came to exist. Druids are all female, while all Demons are male. Demons and Druids are considered by many to be each half of a whole, only complete when their two opposite natures come together as one.

DRUID ABILITIES:

Druid empathy:

The most important aspect of any Druid is their ability to both share and impart emotions onto beings other than themselves. This is where they draw their power from. Where Demons feel little to no emotion, Druid emotions are so powerful that, if intense enough, their potency can affect those around them. Many believe that this is why Druids and Demons are drawn to one another.

Telepathy and Telekinesis: These are abilities that are shared by most intelligent races excluding Elves, some Humans, Nagas, and Elementals. They are as their names suggest; the ability to move inanimate objects with the mind or give and receive information telepathically.

Psychic healing: This ability is one of the rare few shared by Demons and Druids. Psychic healing is the transference of ones own energy to the other, healing any damage done to their mind and mental shields at the cost of their own.

Magic Healing: While it's true that both Demons and Druids can heal psychically, only Druids have the ability to physically heal another being. only Djinn and Elementals such as Naiads have this ability as well.

Flash stepping: Also known as teleportation, Druids can "step" up to fifteen feet at a time. It looks a bit like they are running and disappearing between each step when their feet leave the ground, hence the name.

Third eye abilities: This term is used to describe those with the innate ability to use magic of any kind excluding telepathy and telekinesis. Those with these abilities can also psyciclly attack and defend naturally, a feet that takes many years of practice for those lacking the third eye.

Druid Artifacts: Druids are known throughout the paranormal world to have made the most powerful charms, runes, magical weapons, and ciphers. Any artifact of Druid origin can only be used by a Druid.

DEMONS: An extremely malevolent and predatory race of semi-immortal beings that feed off of the emotions of humans as well as the flesh, blood and bone of humans and most other Paranormals. Like Druids, their creation is a mystery. A Demon child will appear every couple centuries or so with no account of how they came to exist. Demons are exclusively male, while all Druids are female. Demons and Druids are considered by many to be each half of a whole, only complete when their two opposite natures come together as one.

DEMON ABILITIES: Demons are a classification of Paranormal dubbed "Shade Wielders" for obvious reasons. They draw most of their power from darkness, shadows, and negative energy.

The Demon Snare: A snare is an emotional manipulation trick exclusive to Demons that causes a mental overload in the victim, resulting in either their death or loss of all mental function.

Telepathy and Telekinesis: These are abilities that are shared by most intelligent races excluding Elves, some Humans, Nagas, and elementals. They are as their names suggest; the ability to move inanimate objects with the mind or give and receive information telepathically.

Psychic healing: This ability is one of the rare few shared by Demons and Druids. Psychic healing is the transference of ones own energy to the other, healing any damage done to their mind and mental shields at the cost of their own.

Third eye abilities: This term is used to describe those with the innate ability to use magic of any kind excluding telepathy and telekinesis. Those with these abilities can also psyciclly attack and defend naturally, a feet that takes many years of practice for those lacking the third eye.

Dreamscape: Demons have the ability to influence the dreams of another over long distances. When the Dreamscape is formed, the victim's physical body is connected to that of their subconscious, meaning that everything that happens in the dream will be reflected on their physical body in the waking world. They don't have to do this of course.

Shadow Paralysis: The act of literally paralyzing another individual by smothering their aura with their own. Eye contact must be maintained throughout the process.

Corpse Possession: The act of "Remote controlling" a cadaver by transferring a sizeable portion of the user's aura into the corpse and allowing them to essentially see through its eyes and feel what it feels. Normally, the user will install a glamour so that the cadaver resembles them.

Shadow stepping/ Shadow Cloaking: Shadow cloaking is the ability to dissolve oneself into shadows to scatter their aura and better hide themselves. This is the first essential step to Shadow stepping, which is the ability to travel from shadow to shadow, allowing the user to travel much faster than they would be able to on foot. Like most teleportation techniques, the shadows must be within seeing distance.

Shadow lashing: The ability to use shadows from both the surrounding area and one's own aura as a physical weapon.

And here's what Miishu explained to Jericho a couple chapters back about the resistance. THIS IS IMPORTANT!

The Resistance: A secret organization that can be traced back thousands of years. The purpose of the resistance is to protect mankind from the Paranormals that enslaved them long ago.

Branches: The Resistance is composed of thirty two main branches across the world that have a single base of operations and five subdivisions that report to that base. The number of nights assigned to each subdivision depends on the size and population of the area. The Council and Hosts are located in Vienna, Austria, While the High Council and the White king reside in Jerusalem in the Palestinian branch. The main branches of the Resistance are listed below.

The White King: A bit like a president. The Council and High Council elect one of their own to ascend to the position. All orders pertaining to battle strategy, supplies, monetary issues, and division of troops must be approved by the White King. The King resides in Jerusalem, moving from day to day so as to remain hidden.

The Messenger: A trusted member of the high council tasked with relaying messages and information to the King. The equivalent of the Head Consul.

The High Council: A small gathering of seven individuals from Africa, The United States, South America, Canada, Russia, The United Kindom, and The Middle Eastern conglomerate. They are each nominated by member of The Council, elected by the high council themselves, and finally approved by the white king. Each member represents all of the branches on his or her division.

The Head Consul: One member of the branch council tasked with relaying information and decisions to the High Council.

The Branch Council: A group of thirty two individuals that each represent their own branch. They are responsible for sending members of the Resistance on missions, whatever their place in the organization.

The Elite: A special ops group that is tasked with investigation and quelling matters that threaten the security of the High Council and White King.

The Knights: The common warrior of the resistance. They are born and bred into battle, and most if not all are born with third eye abilities.

The Squalls: Knights in training.

The Hunters: Normal humans who were not born into the resistance that stumble into the Paranormal world by mistake. More often than not, the reason for this is revenge on some supernatural entity that took away a loved one or something of the like. Little to no hunters have third eye abilities and must rely on pre-blessed charms, wards, hex bags, and weapons to fight. The Knights and sometimes Councilmen are often sent to keep an eye on these hunters when they happen to stumble upon a case of interest. Many Hunters resent the Knights for this reason.

The Hosts: Put simply, Seers. These are a group of five clairvoyants that spend their entire lives in meditation in the Calendula chambers underneath the Vienna Branch. The smoke from the Calendula herbs does cause non-fatal internal bleeding and insanity over long periods of time, whilst also being quite addictive. If one of the hosts were to be taken from the chamber, they would asphyxiate for lack of the herb that gives them their sight.

Branches:

(Vienna, austria)(Jerusalem, Palestine)(Tianjin, China)(Bangalor, India)(Salvador, Brazil)(Multan, Pakistan)(Abuja, Nigeria)(Rajshahi, Bangladesh) (Kazan and saint Petersburg, Russia)(Brisbane, Australia)(Cordoba, Argentina)(Astana, Kazakhstan)(Constantine, algeria)(athens, greece)(Guadalahara, Mexico)(Osaka, Japan)(Munich and cologne, Germany)(Lyon, France)(Birmingham, Brighton, London, and Glasgow, UK)(Milan and Rome, Italy)(New york city, Indianapolis, los angeles, las vegas, and Natchitoches Louisiana, United states.)


	42. Chapter 44

Jericho's POV:

Mark and Felix sat dumbfounded through me and Sean's entire story. It took about an hour and a half, and that was just the summary. When we got to the part about Dark and Fell, they both balked at us in disbelief.

"Darkiplier is REAL? Dude, I thought that was just a couple dreams. I decided to make him into a character for fun."

"Same with me. I thought they were just nightmares," said Felix grimmly, "Hearing that thing is real..." his face darkened as he cast his eyes to the floor.

"What'd he do in your dreams? Anti scared me to near insanity." He shivered at the memory.

"Mine's name is Fell, right? He, uh... he tortured me. Badly." Felix curled in on himself just a little before shaking off the remnants of his experience as best he could. "What did yours do, Mark?"

I braced myself for the worst. What had Dark done?

"Oh. Well we just kinda talked. He even introduced himself..." Mark scratched the back of his head.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Actually, that sounds like Dark," Miishu nodded sagely, "He's like any other Demon and enjoys fear, but he doesn't see any point in being violent unless he's hunting. Compared to other Demons he's actually pretty docile."

"Well there's that at least. Yeah, he just kind of walked up to me and asked me my name and who I was. He said his name was Ayiya, I remember that much. anyway, I figured it was a dream so I went with it. He appeared every night for the next two weeks or so. Sometimes we'd literally just sit there and not do anything. It was just super bizarre. At one point I made a joke that we should call him Dark instead of Mark and he just laughed. I guess now I know why."

He fell silent for a second before saying quietly, "Nice guy."

We finished our story with no interruptions after that other than a couple gasps and 'Jesus Christs.' When we were done, Mark got up and got a pack of beer from the fridge, setting it on the table for everyone. Felix mumbled something about wishing we had weed.

"So what do we do?" asked Felix as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table and took a drag of his beer.

"You? You do nothing, lay low," Sean said sternly, "We're only going to be here 'til we figure out what we're doing, and then we're gone. Go on with your lives while keeping an eye out."

"What? You can't just expect us to fucking forget about all this! Our fucking DOPPLEGANGERS are out there murdering people!" Mark exclaimed as Felix nodded firmly in agreement.

"Yours isn't," Miishu pointed out.

"Still."

Felix stood up. "Let us help. Sean can do it, can't He? Why not us?"

"You're gonna have a hard time stopping us. We're in, whether you like it or not," Mark stated, crossing his arms obsinantly.

The three of us looked at each other. Sean eventually shrugged, "I mean, we could ward them and keep them out of combat at least. If they're going to try and help no matter what, the safest place they could be is with us."

"I could always memory jinx them," Miishu raised her hand in the two fingered sign.

"What? Dude. No. Absolutely not. That causes brain damage, Miishu!" Sean said incredulously.

"Just putting all the options on the table, jeez."

Sean took a deep breath and turned back to his friends. "Okay. When we leave, we'll take you with us. But if there's a fight, were going to put some stealth wards on you so you can STAY OUT OF IT. Got it? I've been doing this for nine years, you've known about it for two hours." Sean said sternly.

"Scouts honor," they said in unison.

"Alright. Then let's figure out what we're doing from here."

"Actually," Miishu piped up, "There's some things I should probably tell you about Jericho first."


	43. Chapter 45

Jericho's POV:

I didn't think this whole thing could get any weirder, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Hearing the entire story from Miishu- the battle in Palestine, Arihaan, how Miishu, Dark, Mikhail, Fell, and even Anti were all connected...

Small world.

Miishu also told us that after the ordeal of their betrayal of Ayiya/Dark, she fled from the resistance to become a rogue witch, evading their pursuit for years. Sean turned white when she told us how old she was, poor guy.

Finally done, Miishu sat back. "Now that everyone knows what we know, I'm going to go ahead and link with Dark. He already knows where we are of course; He was even here last night."

I choked on thin air when she waggled her eyebrows at me.

"What? How the fuck did he know? I thought you warded the place!" Sean exclaimed, shooting up out of his chair to glare at the Witch, "Why the fuck are you so nonchalant about letting that thing get near Jericho?"

"I warded the house against everything but Dark. And he loves her, calm down. They're just going through a rough patch." Miishu stated in defense. She suddenly perked up, looking at something above where I was sitting.

"Well speak of the devil!"

We all whirled around to see the Demon in question standing behind the couch with his arms folded across his chest in a superior manner as his black aura flared around him. Everyone but Miishu froze, and I heard a soft, 'What the fuck...' from Felix. Dark's gaze moved slowly around the room, examining each of us individually with his piercing red eyes until they finally came to rest on Mark and Felix across the room. Dark cocked his head and flashed his signature smirk at the dumbfounded youtubers. He gave a teasing little wave to Felix that the swede shakily returned before turning to Mark.

"Hello, Mark. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" He said softly, laughter lingering on the edge of his low voice.

"Uh... Yeah, uh, hey Ayiya. Or Dark I guess." Mark scratched the back of his head, seeming more weirded out than frightened. He looked away sheepishly, "Hey, sorry about making fun of you in my videos. I uh... I thought you weren't real, so... No offense."

Dark seemed to be amused to no end by Mark's awkward apology. "No offense taken. I actually thought they were rather entertaining."

Mark perked up visibly at this, his eyebrows almost shooting off his forehead in shock. "Wait, really?"

The Demon's smirk disappeared. "No, of course not, you buffoon. Do you know how many times those idiotic videos have circulated around the Paranormal world? Far, far too many. Make any more and I'll come throttle you myself."

"Oh... okay." Mark pouted. Miishu put a hand on his shoulder, trying not to laugh.

"Alright, let me make something perfectly clear, Dark," Sean spoke up, "The only reason I'm not attacking you is because Miishu says we can trust you. One misstep from you and I'll put an arrow through your heart," he threatened darkly. Miishu and Dark both rolled their eyes, neither bothering to respond to the ultimatum. Dark dissolved and slid over the couch, reforming between me and Sean, causing him to yelp and scramble to the other side of the couch. Dark pulled me into his lap again despite my protests, locking his hands around my waist. He pressed an abbreviated kiss to my forehead as I craned my neck to scowl at him.

"Is he always like this?" Felix muttered to Miishu.

"I'm afraid so," Came a voice from down the hall. In strode the one and only Mikhail Icarod, whom I hadn't seen since Dark had transported me to his mansion in Hillah.

" !" I exclaimed, forgetting his name for a moment in my excitement. I went to jump off Dark's lap to greet the familiar face only to be pulled back into his chest. I did the next best thing and pouted.

"Good morning . I trust you've been well in my absence?" Greeted Mikhail as he folded his hands behind his back. I grinned at him, ignoring his formality.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks to these guys."

"Is HE always like this?" Felix whispered again, making me, Dark, and Miishu laugh.

"I'm afraid so," chuckled Dark, "and no need to fill us in; Signe linked us all the details, so we're on the same page."

Mikhail leaned against the door frame, keeping his distance as always. "We'll be catching a flight to Jerusalem in about an hour, as it is impossible to teleport that far. Have the vessels pack their bags as well, we'll be taking them along to ensure that they aren't sought after," he motioned to Mark and Felix as he left the room, not giving any of us a chance to ask.

"Jerusalem?!" Felix exclaimed.

"Vessels?" Mark huffed indignantly.

"Fuck," Sean groaned.

Two hours later

Mark, Felix, And Sean ended up making a video announcing that they were going on vacation to Tahiti for a while, each posting it on their respective channels, leading to Mark getting a bit weapy eyed afterward. They were given charms, wards, and hex bags that would protect them somewhat from magic and mental attacks, along with Scepters that were apparently 'pre-blessed' and had to be recharged from an outside source. Mark accidentally destroyed the coffee table about five seconds after he got his.

When we got to the airport, Mikhail led us to a smaller plane than the others. He said that it was one of the private jets the Council granted to its members in order to avoid interaction with the common people. when we entered the cabin, the three musketeers and I stopped to gawk in amazement.

Mikhail walked past us briskly. "There is a storage room in the room to the right, a restroom in the door to the left, the beds are further back down that hallway, and beyond that is the bar and kitchen. Do not go past the bar, as that area is restricted and warded so that you'll receive a nasty shock if you try to pass it. I'm going to meditate; I'll see you all when the plane lands in seventeen hours." he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the back of the plane.

"I've got no problems with not going past the bar. You with me guys?" Mark asked, drawing happy woops and 'hell yeahs' from Felix and Sean.

"Dibs on the whiskey! I know he has some!" Miishu crowed as they followed Mikhail's path, "You coming, Jay?"

I shook my head and smiled. "Nah, I think I'm good for now. I'm just gonna read a little if that's okay."

"Suit yourself. Hey I'm serious about that whiskey!" she called as she ran after the boys.

I felt Dark put his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright, Jericho? I can feel your anxiety from here," he asked softly. I nodded, letting his hand slip off my shoulder as I tossed my bag and weapons on the couch and walked to the first set of seats. I settled down in the seat facing the front of the plane, leaning my head against the window to look at the clouds zooming by. Dark lowered himself onto the seat across from me, studying me intently. He was about to speak when I interrupted him.

"Do you have that book and the scroll that you gave me a couple days ago? I didn't get all the way through."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he pursed his lips instead, waving a hand through the air and conjuring the items in question.

"Thanks."

The only sounds for the next thirty minutes or so were the whir of the engines and the boisterous laughter coming from the back of the plane. Dark's eyes hardly left me during that time. I was constantly aware of his gaze, feeling extremely discomfited by his perusal. I kept my eyes on the paper, but I kept having to reread passages because I couldn't concentrate.

I finally gave in, sighing and rolling up the scroll, laying it by my side. "Okay. What do you want?" I asked flatly. He smiled and sat back, resting his chin on his hand

"I want so, so many things from you, Jericho. But at the moment, I'd like you to tell me what's wrong. I'm not going to read your mind," He stopped me before I could ask why he didn't do just that, "Because I want you to trust me enough to tell me."

I blinked. "Wow. That's... really thoughtful, actually."

"Jericho..."

"Okay, okay. I'm just worried about my parents. I know they aren't my real parents, but they raised me and cared for me for twenty years. You can fake a lot of things, but you can't fake love like that," I said resolutely.

He didn't say anything for at least a minute, hardly even blinking. He had that unfathomable expression on his face that made it hard for me to tell what he was thinking. I was about to break the silence when he looked away, staring out the window at the sky.

"There's something you need to know, Jericho. I've been waiting for the right time to tell you, but I'm beginning to realize that there may never be a right time." He looked back at me, his expression grim. Sometimes I think I knew, in the back of my mind, what he was about to say.

"Your parents are dead."


	44. Chapter 46

"AAAAAAh!"

Fell roared and slammed his fist through the coffee table, sending whatever shards of wood that didn't instantly vaporize shooting around the room. Anti quickly dissolved, letting the projectiles pass through him, reforming as they wedged themselves into the walls.

"They were HERE! They were here the ENTIRE TIME!" He blasted a chair to smithereens with his shadows. Anti lept aside as parts of it came flying over his head.

"It was so damned SIMPLE, why couldn't I SEE IT?! Of course, OF COURSE your vessel would run to his little FRIENDS!" He punched the air blindly, sending a golden shock wave through the wall over anti's head as he ducked. This wasn't too rare. Fell 'iikh was as famous for his temper tantrums as he was for his cunning and power.

The fallen one let loose yet another scream of rage and flung the couch into the wall with blinding speed, rending a hole in the drywall across the room. Anti breathed a sigh of relief until a portion of the ceiling fell onto his head, causing him to wince with pain.

Fell stood hunched in the center of Mark Fishbach's living room, teeth bared, hands spread like claws, and serpentine eyes shining impossibly bright as his aura flared all the way to the ceiling in his anger. His head suddenly shot to Anti, who was leaning against the wall, cringing and rubbing his head.

"Anti. Find a Councilman. Torture them until they tell us what we need to know. Show no mercy. Do you understand?" Fell hissed quietly.

Anti nodded quickly, dissolving and shooting out of the house. He didn't want to stay near an angry Fell any longer than was necessary. Fell straightened slowly as sirens echoed in the distance, getting nearer by the second. He grinned, running his tongue along his teeth.

Here came his stress relief.


	45. Chapter 47

"Your parents are dead."

I didn't comprehend his words at first. For a second, it was like the entire world was suspended in water, like I was viewing it through a thick pane of glass. My brain flat lined, the only thing I could hear was an echo of his last word. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. My mind kept repeating it over and over, like it was trying to make sense of the word. Dead.

None of it felt real. I felt like I was reading a book or watching a TV show, like I was a bystander in my own life. I felt my mouth open, heard myself speak without inflection.

"How."

"...They were murdered. By a Demon," Dark answered softly, "By Fell, in an attempt to get to you. He tortured them to the brink of death just after I took you from your home, but they wouldn't give you up. From what I hear, they didn't speak at all, even though they didn't know where you were. They were found by a Knight the next day."

I felt myself nod as I looked numbly at the floor.

"Oh."

My vision began to blur. My ears started ringing, louder and louder until I couldn't hear anything else. I could feel myself trembling. My breath was short.

Dark got up as if to come sit by me, but before he could even get there, I stood and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and hanging on for all I was worth. He stumbled back a bit from the force, but regained his balance and held me just as tightly, tucking my head beneath his chin as I buried my face in his chest. He shushed me softly and began stroking my hair, whispering things to me that I was too far gone to hear. I didn't care what he was saying. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was here, and I was going to keep it that way for as long as I could.

Dark POV

"Oh."

This is what I had dreaded. Her pain. She'd gone through more in the past three weeks than some humans did in their entire lives, and had done nothing to deserve it. She deserved the very best in life, deserved to be pampered, loved, doted over. Not this. Never this.

She began to go into shock, a low, keening cry welling up in her throat. I reached for her with every intention of holding her together the best that I could, but she had come to me herself before I had barely moved. I stumbled back in shock at both the force of the impact and the fact that she wanted so desperately to be near me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her trembling form against me. I would treasure her for as long as I could, and make certain that she never felt this way again.

Our cabin mates (save Mikhail) came clambering into the room, probably drawn by the sound of Jericho's cries.

"What the fuck did you do, Dark?" Sean growled, drawing his crossbow off his back. I glared at him over Jericho's head.

Miishu put a calming hand on Sean's shoulder, shaking her head at him. "...You told her about her parents passing, didn't you?" She asked sadly, already knowing the answer.

I nodded simply, holding her as tight as I could without causing her discomfort. The boys all wore shocked, and then sympathetic expressions. "Oh Jesus, Jericho..." Mark whispered.

I gathered her up in my arms, walking towards the back of the plane to the beds. The four of them moved out of the way silently, letting us pass. Jericho still clung to me like her life depended on it, her white knuckled hands fisted in the fabric of my suit.

I went to the private chamber to the side, laying her down. As soon as I let her go, she gasped and reached for me desperately. I shushed her, taking off her shoes and pants before laying beside her, wrapping her in my arms once more. She fell asleep within the hour, too mentally exhausted to function any longer.

I closed my eyes to follow her.

Jericho's POV:

I was walking through the familiar streets of New York, the brisk winds tickling my face and playing softly with my white hair. There was

I was wandering aimlessly through the chilly lamplit city streets with no real destination in mind. It felt good to let go of my thoughts for a bit, just sailing dreamily through the city, not fretting with unimportant things like how I'd gotten here or where I was going. I was happy. I took a deep breath of clean, clear air, finally allowing myself to bask in the worriless tranquility that my life had been so sorely lacking for the longest time.

Someone was walking beside me, our fingers intermingling. A man. I smiled happily and leaned my head against his shoulder as we maintained our easy pace together. It was a little cold, but I would have kept walking forever if it meant I could keep feeling like this. Suddenly, the man disappeared behind me. I heard him laughing playfully as my head is suddenly covered with warm, soft cloth; he'd thrown his jacket over my head.

"There you go. Better?" he asked as I laughed with him, pulling it off my head to slip it on my shoulders. I turned and beamed up at him.

"Yeah. Thanks," I said as Dark helped me fit my arms through the sleeves. I flapped my arms up and down, laughing at how big it was on me.

"A perfect fit, if I do say so myself," He grinned as he did up the buttons.

"I think it looks better on me," I teased, twirling a bit to show him. He caught me mid turn though, so that he was hugging me from behind. He chuckled softly as he leaned down.

"Keep telling yourself that, dear," he murmured into my hair. I put my hands up on his arms happily, closing my eyes and leaning into his embrace as he began to sway, humming a little tune under his breath. We stayed like that for awhile as I savored his warmth, feeling the rumble in his chest as he alternated between humming and singing softly.

"What song is that?" I asked after awhile.

"It's a lullaby from a couple thousand years ago that I picked up called 'Anjalli sings.' Elves used to sing it to their children."

"What are the words?"

He turned me around to face him, and I put my hands on his chest as he held me, still swaying. "It's been so long that I can't remember. Things like that, pleasant things, they fade with time. The best thing that's happened to me in awhile is you, Jericho... You won't fade like that song did."

He put a hand to the back of my head and put it to his chest. I smiled sadly.

"We have to wake up, don't we?" I asked softly.

"Yes," He said, kissing the top of my head, "but I'll be there when we do. You will never be alone again, Jericho. I promise you that much."

I could feel the dream ending. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him. "I promise too," I whispered as our surroundings faded.


	46. Chapter 48

I woke up in the same position the dream had ended in, just vertically. I was tucked under Dark's chin, so I couldn't see his eyes. I knew he'd woken up with me though. I snuggled closer, quite happy to discover that he was shirtless.

"Interesting choice of landscape, Dark," I murmured against his chest.

His arms tightened just a smidge. "An attempt at retribution for the pain I caused you twice before in that same place. Though I couldn't hope to-"

"Ugh shut up," I groaned, putting my hand over his mouth, "enough of the doom and gloom. It's too early for that."

I felt a puff of air brush my hand as he laughed through his nose. 'Can I speak now?' He thought.

"Maybe. I kind of like it when you're quiet," I quipped, even as I removed my hand anyway.

"Ouch. And to think I lent you my coat."

"In a dream!" I laughed, burying my face in his neck. He hummed his acquiescence, the rumble vibrating through his chest.

"I know you said it was early, but it's technically about three in the morning where we are. we're only six hours into our flight," He said matter-of-factly.

I finally pulled back to look up at him incredulously. "Wait, really? We have eleven hours to go? What even..." I started to roll away from him to get out of the bed, but he pulled me back.

"Ugh. Dark, seriously. You've got to stop doing that," I grumbled at him, pushing at his chest while trying to ignore how firm it was.

"But it's fun to watch you struggle. Besides," He lowered his voice and put his forehead on mine to look me in the eye, "I can think of some very creative ways to spend the time we have left on this flight."

My bones turned to mush at the sly grin he was giving me, mischief glimmering in his narrowed eyes. "Dark, there are other people on this flight," I protested as I tried to stay strong.

"This is a private bedroom."

"They're going to hear us!"

"We'll just have to be quiet."

"Dark!" I glowered up at him.

"Jericho!" He mimicked with a grin. His eyes narrowed again. "I want you to be moaning my name the next time it leaves your lips."

'Oh my god. How does he do this to me?'

"Simple. You love me," he smirked.

"Hey! Stop reading my thoughts, that's private."

"Well I would if you'd stop thinking so loudly. You were fairly screaming," He said in his defense.

"Bite me."

His eyes glinted. "Oh trust me... I plan to," he said with a Dark grin.

Before I could say another word, he'd lowered his lips to mine in a searing kiss that took my breath away with the intensity of emotion he put into it. I completely melted as he sucked my lower lip between his own. He nipped it suddenly, causing me to gasp. He took the opportunity to sweep his tongue into my mouth, and I froze. He paused and pulled back to look at me questioningly when I stopped. I sheepishly averted my eyes.

"Uh... You were kind of my first kiss, and I've never... Um..." I motioned between our mouths, unable to get the words out and hoping he got the picture. His eyebrows rose in understanding before he grinned.

"You've never used tongue," He finished for me, putting two fingers under my chin to tilt my face back to his glittering eyes. "I think we can remedy that. Just relax, do what comes naturally," He murmured against my lips before capturing them again.

This time, I tried to just let it happen like he told me, but that was easier said than done. I was really stiff and nervous and kept forgetting to breath. I couldn't figure out where to put my tongue. To my eternal chagrin, he kept having to stop because he kept chuckling into the kiss. I pulled back, my face heated.

"Hey, I'm trying!" I snapped indignantly when he hid his face in the pillows, his shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. He raised his head, looking at me as if he was about to say something before a grin found its way on to his face and he shoved his face back into the pillows to hide his guffaws. I was livid; in any other situation I would have been amazed to hear the ever stoic and smug Dark laugh like that, but now? I was so pissed.

I rolled away and stood, storming towards the door. "You know what? Go ahead and get your giggles out. If I'm such a bad kisser, then you can just go fu-"

He got to the door at the same time I did, putting a hand above my head to shut it with a snap just as I had cracked it open. I turned to face him with a withering glare that faltered when he trapped me between his arms and leaned in close, all traces of humor gone save for the cocky smirk he favored.

"What say we put a pin in that idea and move on?" he said, voice deepening with desire. He laid a forearm flat against the wall above my head, stretching his body enticingly while simultaneously leaning closer. I swallowed, my throat suddenly extremely dry. He raised an eyebrow at me, smiling and cocking his head to the side.

"I'm waitiiing~" He cooed teasingly. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, the bastard. I shook myself out of it, pushing my nerves aside and glowering up at him. If he thought he had the upper hand here, he had another thing coming. I crossed my arms and raised my chin.

"Fine. Show me what you got, Darkiplier," I goaded saucily. I knew the second that it left my lips that those words were a colossal mistake. His smirk deepened as he lowered his head, crimson eyes glittering up at me through his long black lashes.

'Oh my God. That was stupid. That was very, very stupid.'

He chuckled darkly, raking his eyes up and down my form. "Truer words, little girl," He growled, his smirk turning wicked as shadows began to gather around us.

Oh my God.


	47. Chapter 49

"Truer words, little girl."

'Oh shit.'

Swaths of shadow began coalescing around Dark as he pushed off the wall, grinning wickedly down at me with a predatory air. He suddenly smirked and backed off, turning away to walk towards the bed. I began to slide my hand up the door to grasp the handle...

I yelped as a smoky tendril lashed out and wrapped firmly around my wrist. Still facing away from me, Dark chuckled, raising his hand in a beckoning motion.

I struggled, pulling back against the shadow. I dug my heels into the floor as it yanked me along, resulting in some nasty carpet burn on my feet. When I reached him, he turned and grabbed onto my wrist where the shadow was, pulling me against him by holding both of my wrists high above my head, so that my feet were just barely touching the floor. I glared up at him, just as angry as I was nervous. He smirked at my expression, the smug bastard.

In a movement that was too quick to follow, I was flipped onto the bed by a combination of his smoky aura and his own strength before I could get a breath in to protest. If I wasn't so pissed, i would have rolled my eyes when I saw the position we were in.

My wrists were being held above my head as I lay flat beneath him, one of his legs wedged between my thighs.

"Really?" I hissed, "Are we seriously doing this again?"

He drew so close to my face that our noses were almost touching, his breath cold on my face. "Please. It's your own fault for challenging a Demon. And despite the little attitude you seemed to have sprouted in the last ten minutes..."

He suddenly pressed forward against me, rubbing his thigh slowly against my most sensitive area. I closed my eyes and flung my head to the side, willing myself not to moan with everything I had. The movement made me even more aware that I still wasn't dressed, that the only fabric between his skin and mine were my panties and his suit pants.

He laid his forehead on my temple as he laughed softly. "Despite your little attitude, I think you knew that this was a long time coming."

He repeated the motion, this time pressing in deeper and grinding his own hips against me.

"Ngh..!" I let out a little gasping moan. He transferred both my wrists to one hand and turned my face to his. His lips brushed the corner of my mouth as he put his other hand flat on my stomach. My shirt began dissolving again, making me gasp and then growl in indignation.

"Dark, you fucking-"

He cut off my words with a kiss and crushed his lips to mine, muffling my protests with the gentle back and forth of his mouth as he started to roll his hips against me in a steady rhythm. My lips softened under his as my resolve weakened under his minstrations. I felt him smirk into my mouth when I started kissing back, and he finally released my hands, allowing me to bring them to his chest. I was quickly losing this battle and we both knew it, but I couldn't bring myself to care about his smugness at the moment.

His hand smoothed over my skin from my stomach to my chest, unlatching the front hook of my bra, letting the cups fall to the side.

I immediately broke the kiss, gasping in shock and covering my chest with my arms. I was more nervous than peeved now, and wasn't sure what to do with myself. He pulled back and looked at me steadily, all traces of humor and cockiness wiped from his face. He just fixed me with his calm Scarlett eyes, waiting. For me.

He was waiting for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight and turned my face away, laying my arms at my sides. He must have thought that was funny, because he chuckled.

"I'm still here, Jericho... open your eyes..." He cooed, quoted himself from the very first night I saw him, "Can you be brave for me now, darling? Come now..."

I slowly opened my eyes and turned my face to see him hovering just inches away. I could get lost in those eyes. I'd once found them frightening, but now, as he pinned me to the bed with those same beautiful dark pools, I didn't want to look away- and it wasn't shadow paralysis this time either.

He kept steady eye contact as he moved down my body slightly, cocking an eyebrow in a silent challenge to see if I would stop him. When the only sound that came from me was my labored breathing, he slowly lowered his head to one pink tip before sucking it into his mouth and starting a gentle, persuasive attack on my defenses.

A sweet fire clawed at my insides as his tongue swirled against me, pooling deep in my stomach. Within seconds, I was moaning softly as I began to unconsciously undulate softly against him. He lifted his head and moved further down my body, kissing and licking his way down my stomach. I stopped cold. I may have been new to this, but even I knew exactly what he was planning.

I sat up quickly, scooting out from under him up the bed. He didn't react, simply staying where he was and leisurely raking his eyes across my form. I crossed my arms resolutely over my chest.

"No. Absolutely not," I said sternly with a supplicating glare. He paused for a moment, then made a show of sighing heavily with dissapointment, letting his head hang melodramatically in defeat. I almost scoffed at his antics. When he lifted his eyes to mine again, he was looking at me with adoring exasperation, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

He wordlessly reached out with his shadows, using them to slowly pull my ankles back down so that I slid underneath him again. I kept my arms crossed and narrowed my eyes as I looked up at him, daring him to contradict me. He shook his head and laughed at my expression.

"So precious," he chuckled, cupping my cheek with his hand, "fine, we'll do this your way...for tonight." He finished with a smirk.

I was about to tell him off when he pressed his mouth to my neck, kissing me there with just as much skill and finesse as he had my lips. I groaned as he began that slow rhythm once again, moving his pelvis against mine in a slow, slow dance. His hand once again slid over my stomach, but downward this time, not stopping until he reached the juncture of my legs. I wasn't wearing any panties, and my bra had miraculously disappeared as well. I forgot all about the mystery of their whereabouts when his hand cupped my mons, applying a light pressure. I stretched my neck back and spread my thighs a bit more, giving him better access. He smiled against my skin as he stroked me back and forth there for awhile.

He pulled away just enough to look into my eyes before slowly inserting one long finger, absorbing my expressions with something like fascination. He curled his finger in a beckoning motion inside me, making me shiver as he caressed my anterior wall. He lowered his head to my breast and grazed the place just above my nipple with his teeth, drawing a small cry from my open lips as he added a second finger and began rocking them slowly in and out.

I writhed against his hand, panting and struggling to catch my breath as his fingers swirled and played with me until I was slick with sweat and... something else. The steady rocking and thrusting motions of his fingers inside me had me pushing my pelvis up, trying desperately to get closer.

He slid his thumb to the little bud at the juncture of my legs and pressed lightly, sending lightening flashing behind my eyes. I cried out, tensing up immensely at the shock of pleasure, grabbing his wrist, not knowing whether I was trying to get away or pull it closer.

He upped the speed and the intensity, increasing the feeling tenfold. I raised the back of my hand to my mouth as I came closer to my peak, shuddering with the strain as my body wound itself tightly in a spring that was set to snap any minute.

I pushed my hand into my mouth, muffling my scream as I crested. Dark kept thrusting his fingers as I floated in a world of pure sensation, gradually slowing to a stop as I drifted back to earth with my head in the clouds. I just barely registered that he shuddered and groaned with me, feeling the same intense pleasure I was.

I opened my eyes to meet his as he moved completely over me, situating himself between my legs and fixing me once again with his steady, searching gaze, waiting for me yet again.

I didn't bother to give a verbal cue; we were past that, our minds so closely molded together that we were practically seeing through one another's eyes, thinking each other's thoughts. I stared deeply into his eyes, crimson clashing with ice-blue as I wrapped my legs around his waist, bringing one hand up to his shoulder and the other to the back of his neck, pulling him down to me.

He was all to happy to comply, claiming my mouth in a kiss with a fantastic depth that made my chest clench with need. Our tongues clashed and dueled in a fiery dance.

'Ah. So that's how it's done,' I thought to him with an inward grin. He sent me a vague feeling of amusement as he continued to hold my lips hostage.

When we were both ready, He surged inside of me with one smooth stroke. I threw my head back, breaking the kiss with a silent gasp as my muscles clenched tightly around him. I wrapped my arms around him, tangling a hand in his thick black hair and holding on to him for all I was worth.

He stayed there, completely still, holding me as he waited. I stared up at him in total wonder, while he stared back with much the same expression.

Then, with excruciating, agonizing slowness, he pulled back imperceptibly and pushed gently back in. My breath caught. He paused before gently, gently moving against me again. My eyes widened at the sensation As I brought my hands to his shoulders.

He put his weight on his forearms above me and began to stroke, deep and long. We both groaned as he moved against me hanging his head to my shoulder as he put his cheek to mine so that I could feel the slight scratch of the dark stubble that scruffed his jawline.

He murmured soft things into my ear that I was too far gone to even begin to understand, the rumble of his deep, resonant voice against my ear and chest making me shiver. I began pushing back against him as we moved together, our minds and bodies trying their hardest to bring themselves as close as possible to the other.

Finally, the dam broke. I tensed as white-hot pleasure lanced through my blood stream, filling every last nerve ending with shocks of lightening that were almost painful in their potency. My entire world was shaken to its core as I felt his pleasure as well as mine, circling between us in an infinite circle as we fed from each other. I saw shadows and light swirling around us in the wild maelstrom of our intermingling auras. We held on to each other through the storm, each of us finding our cleft in the other.

When we finally fell back from the stars, I was just barely awake enough to feel myself being cradled against a warm body before I drifted peacefully into the darkness.

Miishu's POV:

I set down my glass of whiskey, a smile finding it's way onto my face. I could feel those love bird's energy from here, it was so powerful. Mikhail was probably blushing his butt off; there was no way he could have meditated through that little disturbance in the force. I giggled quietly as I thought about what Mikhail would look like if he blushed.

"What's so funny?" Asked Sean curiously, pausing the two player we were currently engaged in. I shook my head, still smiling.

"It's nothing, Irish. Just remembering some old friends," I sighed happily as I leaned my head on his shoulder. He stiffened and made a funny little strangled noise in his throat. I glanced up at him to see that his face was so heated that he looked sunburned; I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.

I laughed again and snuggled closer, restarting the game. I was willing to bet that Mikhail didn't have nearly as cute a blush as Sean.


	48. 50

Anti's POV:

I just didn't get it.

I took immense pride in my interrogation techniques; I was infamous for it. Part of the reason that Fell favored me was because of my ability to get in people's heads, to break down their defenses until they had no other way to turn but mine. There never a 'one size fits all' for torture, just like there's no one way to work yourself into someone's psyche. I understood this, understood the delicate nuances of my art. I was a master and I knew it.

I had never failed before these past two weeks. First with that girls parents when Fell had to come in to help, and now with this mother fucker; he was just a Goddamn Councilman, the youngest at that. Why the fuck couldn't I get into his head?

'I must be off my game.'

I continued to sulk, glowering out at the streets of LA that bustled outside the alley as the screams from inside the warehouse continued unfettered. There were some long ones, too. I was pretty impressed:

'Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen... damn. That was almost a new record.'

Fell specialized in mental torture; illusions, dragging up old memories, bolstering insecurities, you name it. I shuddered at the thought of being pinned beneath power like that.

The screams finally died out and I heard a faint gurgle. Must have slit his throat. Actually, knowing Fell, he probably put the knife in the victim's hand so he could slit his own throat. Fell exited the building, calmly licking blood from his fingers.

"My apologies, Antioch. It seems you did well after all," he said nonchalantly as he walked past me.

I was shocked. "What?" I exclaimed incredulously as I followed him away from the warehouse, "But I couldn't get anything out of him!"

"That's because he had nothing to give," Fell said simply. He lept up and scaled the wall of the alley effortlessly and with incredible grace, running two stories up vertically. I sighed and followed in shadow form, not seeing the point in putting my effort into theatrics.

When I reformed, I came upon him standing atop the building, face turned upwards to the night sky with a pensive expression. I stood before him, silently waiting for him to explain himself.

"...Our hapless friend knew nothing because the Resistance knows nothing of Mikhail's whereabouts either."

My brows rose at the unexpected information. Fell chuckled and turned to me, looking both troubled and deeply amused.

"It seems the Reaper has gone awol."


	49. Chapter 51

Mikhail POV

I was sitting upright in my private chamber, a white soundproof room completely devoid of color or furnishing so as to ensure minimal distraction when I needed to meditate. I diligently held my position, keeping my spine perfectly straight and my breathing deep to ensure that my aura was in a state of stable suspension around me. I held a in each hand as I slowly transferred my power into the cursed stones on the butt of each hilt that acted as repositories for energy, reserves to be used later.

About five hours passed when I felt another energy signature disturb the atmosphere, a powerful one that almost pushed mine aside. I cursed, scrambling to regain control but it was too late. My concentration was broken. I stood, storming towards the door with every intention of giving Signe a piece of my mind. I paused when I realized that the aura I was feeling certainly didn't belong to the witch. It felt like...

Oh, for the love of God.

I felt the heat rise to my face as I realized exactly where the energy was coming from. I closed my eyes and scrubbed my hands down my face, trying to control my anger and embarrassment. Jericho couldn't possibly have any idea of our ability to sense each other's power through our third eyes, but Dark? I swore to myself that I was going to throttle that insolent whelp when first the opportunity arose.

I resumed my meditation pose, but my concentration was long gone. I growled in frustration and stalked out of the chamber in a dark mood. I decided I may as well alleviate my stress with a drink; whiskey would do nicely.

I entered the parlor and saw that the bar was blessedly empty. I thanked the heavens that I didn't believe in and went straight for the drawer where I kept my stash. I nearly blew a gasket when I saw a messily scrawled note in place of my personal bottle:

Heya Micky! Thanks for the booze. Promise I'll pay you back!

-Your favorite witch :D

I crumpled the note in my hand, tossing it back in the drawer and kicking it closed. After briefly contemplating bloody murder for the second time in five minutes, I sighed and decided that it wasn't worth the effort, a conclusion I often came to when dealing with the idiots that made up the vast majority of the human race. If I didn't, I would have lost my sanity long ago.

I settled for pouring myself a glass of bourbon, lounging on a couch by the wall of the parlor. I fiddled with one of the daggers as I swirled my drink. They were the most powerful weapon I owned, a gift from Dark about a year into our alignment. Every time I used the blades I so favored, I couldn't help but be reminded of my hideous betrayal. I kept them not only for their power, but for this reason as well.

In a sudden fit of guilty fury, I downed the rest of my glass and threw it towards the bar, whipping the dagger out to follow it. The blade shattered the glass in mid air before impaling itself in the smooth wood of the bar nearly all the way to its hilt. I slumped over, putting my face in my hands.

I was old, very old for a Knight. I had a great many regrets in my lifetime, and I could say without hesitation that my betrayal was one of the worst, Demon or not. It took me many years to realize that I was acting like the monsters we believed most of the paranormals to be. Beings like Dark, ones that very rarely killed needlessly, didn't deserve to be thrust into the same category as the others.

Of course, I'd only realized this far too long after the deed was done.

I sat back, listening to the rest of the goings on in the jet. It sounded like Signe and Sean were in the main cabin, talking and laughing. I knew there was something going on between them, but I didn't care enough to dwell on it. The other two were speaking in whispers in the sleeping area, probably about the bizarre happenings that had recently invaded their otherwise ordinary existence. Jericho and Dark were finally, blessedly, asleep. I could only hope it would stay tha way for awhile; their last joining was almost more than I could take.

I knew that I would have to make certain that the two uninitiated members of our motley crew had the mental and physical means to defend themselves. That, of course, constituted a crash course in the Knight's training regimen from the ground up. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose, a headache already throbbing into existence from the mere notion of attempting to instruct those imbeciles.

As if that weren't enough, we didn't even have a definite plan yet. For the first time in my life, I was 'winging it,' charging in completely blind without the help of the Resistance to guide me.

Dark and I were the only ones who knew that I had defied the high council and the white king, though I was sure Miishu had a suspicion. I didn't feel too guilty about it; I had always felt that the council was stiff and uptight, with black and white beliefs that sometimes overruled their humanity, as was the case with their penultimate decision regarding Jericho and the vessels.

The mission I was tasked with was to bring both Jericho and the vessels into custody. She would then be forced to use her runes to reach into the vessel's minds and lay waste to the bond between them and their Demons, instantly killing both. A Demon would never be able to destroy a vessel, even if it wasn't their own. But if they had the runes, they would gain that power.

Even after all of that, Jericho would spend the rest of her life cooped up in a posh and well protected safe house somewhere that may as well be a gilded prison. I would never think of putting her though the ordeal of being forced to murder her friends only to have whatever freedom she had left stripped away.

It was I who had fought for her to have a normal, happy life in the first place, suggesting that I, Yoseph, and Yuulas raise and protect her. I had left the high council in Jerusalem to reenter the regiments for that very reason; so that I could protect her.

It was the very least I could do, seeing as she was the reincarnation of my own dear lover.

Arihaan.

Of course, I was in no way attracted to Jericho; I'd had a significant hand in her upbringing and would thus always see her as a child. Aside from that, she and her predecessor were very different despite the fact that their souls came from the same core elements.

The bottom line was that I would honor the memory of my closest comrades by protecting their daughter at any cost. I couldn't protect Arihaan, but I would die before I made the same mistake with the girl I considered to be my niece.


	50. Chapter 52

The three elders answered in grim unison:

"The Elite."

"Let's go boys," Miishu said, grabbing Mark and Felix's arms and popping out of existence to be back and battle ready a moment later.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" Sean chanted, loading his crossbow and slipping on various ammo straps and quivers as the banging continued above. Miishu dashed to my bag, yanking out the crystal that held my armor and chunking it at me. It expanded in a flash of light and suddenly I was wearing it, caduceus and all.

"You'll need the sword. Their wards are too powerful," she said hurriedly.

I drew the blade like she asked, not questioning the armor. "Who are the Elite again?"

"Resistance special ops," Dark said. "Mikhail, how many?"

"...Seven."

The rest of us cursed at the announcement. Suddenly, the noise coming from the ceiling stopped. The only sound was that of the engines and the high speed winds rushing past us. The silence was tense as we got ready. Dark and Mikhail stood back to back, while Sean, Miishu and I did the same.

And then it began. In the span of a breath, a small explosion shook the plane as seven dark blurs dropped lithely from a newly formed hole in the roof of the plane. The wind whipped about as they landed in crouches around us, three for Dark and Mikhail, two for Miishu, and one for me and Sean. I guess they had done their research.

(The elite: just imagine a male version two and you're fine.)

Sean acted quicker than I ever could have hoped to. Within two seconds he had loosed an arrow at our foe and loaded and shot another one. The masked intruder quickly dodged the arrows with inhuman swiftness and launched himself towards us, knives extended ferociously. I lept to the side and expected Sean to do the same, but he quickly fell to his knees while still keeping his feet on the ground, leaning back until his head nearly touched the floor so that the Elite shot over him, having too much momentum to be able to stop. Sean fired upward as the man passed over him, sending an arrow blazing straight through his armor and out the other side of his shoulder with crushing force. The arrow exited the plane.

I watched in amazement as The Elite let out a cry of pain and dropped the knife in his right hand as he landed in a summersault to regain his balance. When he whirled around, his arm hung limply, and I could see where his armor was pushed into the hole in in his shoulder. He charged us again, arm flopping uselessly at his side as he threw his knife like a projectile at my head. I raised the flat of my blade to it, knocking it out of the air. When I lowered my weapon, all I saw was a blur of black and silver as he delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to my side, knocking me a couple yards to the right before using the momentum to turn on Sean, who ducked and rolled...

And shot an arrow towards me.

The world slowed down and I froze as the projectile blew past my face so close that I could feel the wind that came off of it. I heard a grunt behind me and turned, looking up just in time to see an Elite frozen behind me, an arrow through his abdomen. He clutched his stomach, but still raised his knife. He was slow from his injury; I braced myself against the floor and shot my foot up into his neck, making him fall back and gurgle.

A swath of shadows encased his form and he was gone when they retracted. I'd thank Dark later.

I turned back to see that sean was nowhere to be found, but the Elite he'd maimed earlier was advancing on me quickly. I raised my sword, blocking the knife and locking with it just before it reached my neck. I struggled to keep in where it was as he pushed it towards my throat with all his might, my arms shaking with the strain to hold it where it was, inches away from my skin. Shit. This could be it.

I felt a weight on my shoulder. I saw a grinning Sean out of my peripheral vision aiming his bow close range at the Elite, using me as a prop.

"Bye-Bye."

The Elite's head snapped back as the silver arrow shot straight through his forehead. A couple drops of blood splattered onto my face as he fell, his limbs crumpling unnaturally beneath his limp body. Sean retracted his arm as I turned and hugged him.

"Fuck that was amazing!"

"All in a day's work," Sean said smugly.

Dark was strangling the last of the elite by holding him aloft in the air with his shadows. We heard a sickening crack before he dropped her dead at his feet, grinning like a maniac. His hair was mussed and his eyes were glowing madly with the same red hue as the blood covering his hands and face. He raised his sword to his mouth and licked it once from hilt to tip, eyes closing in feral ecstasy. Jesus, is that what I was in love with?

Fuck.

Dark saw me staring and bared his teeth in a menacing grin, dissolving into mist that swept across the floor to circle teasingly around my feet like a shark in the water, and just as likely to bite. He reformed in front of me and pulled me to him roughly, one hand on my hip and another tangled in my hair. He yanked my head back and smashed his lips against mine in a brutal, possessive kiss with a bruising force that almost hurt. I could taste a slight tinge of blood, but...

He pulled back, cradling my face and leaning his forehead to mine as he fairly glared into my eyes. He didn't bother to speak, but I could see a dark promise in his gaze that made me shudder.

Sean cleared his throat, making me jump. "Do you two mind NOT mind-fucking each other while we're in the room? Thanks."

Dark just laughed and stepped back as I blushed. Sean shook his head in mild exasperation before something caught his eye that made him gasp. "MIKHAIL!"

I whirled around to see that Mikhail was passed out on the floor, a black knife thrust into his abdomen. Miishu, who had a nasty tear in her shoulder as well, was crouched beside him, holding her glowing hands over the wound. She looked at us with one raised brow, seemingly unconcerned with his plight.

"He's had worse," She said simply.

I felt a bit queasy. "So he tells me."

"Uh...Guys?" We all turned to see Mark and Felix, walking up from the back of the plane dragging a passed out Elite girl between the two of them. Five sets of eyebrows raised in bemusement. Mark gave a nervous chuckle.

"What do we do with this?"

Remember to vote if you liked the work! you can actually vote on every chapter lol


	51. Chapter 53

How did you even- you know what? Explain later," she held out the staff, "everyone grab on! We're terra firma bound !"

Everybody took hold of the staff while Mark the staff while Mark raised the Elite girl's limp hand so that it did the same. In the next second, we were on the desert ground. Or rather, a couple feet above it. There were yelps and shrieks as we all fell into the desert sand in a cloud of dust. Dark, in true fashion, floated gracefully down to the ground with Mikhail in tow, held up by Dark's aura.

Looking up, we could see the plane a couple hundred feet above our heads gliding down in a steep freefall towards a mountain miles away. It crashed in a fantastic explosion that we both heard and felt moments later. Well there went the awesome bar.

Mikhail groaned uneasily in his unconscious state, sweat beading on his pale forehead as his chest jerked with uneven breaths. I lept up, rushing over to where Dark was holding him. "Is he going to be Okay? It looks bad..." I said worridly. Dark lowered him to the ground, examining him with crossed arms.

"...Maybe. I'll need your help, though; his lung is punctured and filling with fluid. Come here," he held his hand out to me. I took it as he crouched down beside Mikhail and, without warning, promptly ripped the knife out of his stomach.

Mikhail's eyes flew open as he roared with pain, his entire body tensing for a moment before going limp again in a dead faint. There was a collective gasp from the group as Dark put his hand over the wound as it spurted blood into the air, his hand glowing with a dark, paradoxical light. My skin shone as well, with an ice blue light from my shoulder to where it touched Dark's hand. I could see Mikhail's wound begin to close, his head thrashing a bit in his sleep as the skin knit together.

Mikhail finally relaxes, his face becoming peaceful and lax. We all breathed a sigh of relief as Dark stood, brushing off his hands with a smug look on his face. "Mikhail will owe me. Come, we need to get out of the open. Signe?"

"On it," she raised her staff. Nothing happened. She lowered it again and began walking, morning us to follow. "Before you ask, that was an invisibility ward. We're going to The Mount of Olives to meet a friend of mine." She held her hand out as she walked and suddenly I wasn't wearing my armor anymore. She tossed me the gemstone.

"Okay," I asked as everyone shrugged and fell into step behind her, "but why did we need to jump the plane? It was automatic and wasn't even crashing." Mark, Felix, and Sean nodded in agreement.

"Well, if they were sent to kill us, then even if we defeated them, more would be waiting on the ground below. We would have been caught. Better to let them think we're dead. That's why the villa isn't a viable option any longer; it could be compromised. Unfortunately, I don't have enough energy left to teleport, so we're walking."

That made sense.

"Holy shit!"

I turned to see Felix held in an artistic looking headlock by the Elite. Sean, Dark, and Miishu were all pointing their weapons at her, ready to strike.

"You're outnumbered six to one, miss," Miishu said gravely, "We both know how this ends. Put down your idiot."

"Hey!" Felix protested. The Elite paused for a second before releasing Felix roughly, sending him tumbling to the ground with a yelp. He scrambled over to stand by Mark as She raised her hands in the air wordlessly.

"How about that mask, hm? Let's see that friendly face," said Dark teasingly. There was no response from the Elite but a stone cold silence. Dark shrugged, sheathing his sword at his back. "You're just making this worse for yourself. Lead the way, Signe. I'll keep an eye on our friend."

Miishu nodded and began walking, beckoning the rest of us to follow. "We'd take the mask off ourselves, but Elite'smasks are enchanted so that only they or another elite can remove them," she explained to the rest of us, "Now come on; we've got a looooooooong way to go."

We had been walking for at least eight hours without a break. Miishu had summoned water from deep in the ground, but there was very little, and it didn't help much. Dark was helping a little with his freezing shadows, a blessing in the heat. Thankfully, Miishu said we were only a couple miles out finally, drawing groans of relief from all of us. The Elite had collapsed a couple miles back, fainting from the heat after still refusing to take off her mask. Dark carried her alongside Mikhail in his shadows. I refused to have him carry me in his arms no matter how many times he offered, intent on doing it myself.

When we finally reached the mount of olives, most of us could hardly see in our delirium. I vaguely remembered cold arms carrying me through a stone doorway before I blacked out.


	52. Chapter 54

I was surrounded by a paradoxical dark light that whisped around me in golden eddies inlaid with silken shadows. These weren't like Dark's shadows, though; where his were loving and tender, the darkness that flowed around me now was an evil stain that poisoned the air around me, raw and invasive. I could feel their cool touch on every inch of my skin, making me hyper aware of my nakedness. I curled in on myself, hiding as much as I could as I stood shivering in the cold and squinting into the silent darkness.

Suddenly, the monotony was broken by a slow laugh that drifted out of the hellish doldrums to bite at my ears. It was abrasive and mocking, making me shudder with both indignation and fear. Fear won out as I stayed quiet.

A cool hand brushed my hair to one side of my neck, making me freeze. I could feel a finger trail itsway down my spine teasingly, goosebumps erupting in its wake. I shook off my terror and whirled around to see nothing but the gilded darkness I had woken to.

I didn't even have time to gasp as I was yanked backwards, my back clashing with another body just as naked as mine. They slid one frozen arm across my chest to latch onto my shoulder, and another across my hips, trapping me tightly against them. I found myself unable to move, paralyzed by some unexplainable force as a cold tongue ran its way from my shoulder to the top of my neck. I shuddered at the unwelcome feeling. This was not like what I felt with Dark. This was pure terror.

"Aw... poor little Jay-bird, all alone in the dark... no pun intended," a voice snickered into my ear, dissolving into a wicked chuckle. Oh God. I knew that voice...

"Yessss..." my captor hissed, squeezing me tighter and sliding a hand to my neck to cradle my jaw, "You know, don't You? Say my name, let me hear it from those lips..." I could hear the wicked grin staining his voice.

"Fell..." I whispered, almost too quiet to hear. He made a low humming sound, stroking my neck with his thumb and pulling on my earlobe lightly with his teeth.

"Mmmm... such a lovely voice. I can't help but wonder what it would sound like in a scream. Would you like that? Would you scream for me, darling Jay-bird?" He cooed in my ear. I felt his nails dig into my hip, making my eyes tear up as he drew blood. His thumb nail made a little cut on my neck that he quickly latched onto with his mouth, sucking and biting on it with much more force than necessary. I cried out with pain, my knees buckling a bit as he bit my neck deeply, chuckling into the wound as he crushed my body against him, supporting my weight. His tongue swirled against my skin, digging into the gash to draw out more blood.

The hand on my hip moved up to my lower stomach, digging into the soft, vulnerable skin. I felt his nails elongate, puncturing my sensitive flesh as they grew several inches long. I threw my head back as my body tensed and I screamed with pain, shaking with terror as blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Fell hummed in pleasure and ground his hips into my backside, holding me up by his hand on my jaw and the nails he had in my stomach.

When he finally withdrew and retracted his claws, returning his hands to their original positions on my hips and chest, I was weak and dizzy from blood loss and pain, my head lolling forward as I hung limply in his arms. He kissed the back of my neck before chuckling darkly.

"I was right. Your screams are just as sweet as your fear. Fuck, that's hot... I could get used to this..." he rolled his hips against me again, making me whimper in terror as he laughed at my discomfort. "Oh please. Don't worry your pretty little head, you're warded by that little half baked bond you have with Dark. I can't do much from here. But..." he suddenly retracted arms and stepped back, letting me fall limply to the floor with a cry as my limbs failed me. He crawled over me, turning me to look at him as he hovered over me on his hands and knees.

"But what I CAN do is give you a little parting gift before you wake, just for giggles. Hold still now, this might tickle a bit." He grinned wickedly and put his palm to my forehead, gripping my head in his open hand. I thrashed and howled as a white hot pain assaulted all of my senses, sending my mind into over drive. It felt like days, hours, years before it finally, blessedly stopped. He retracted his hand as he stood, turning to walk away into the evil golden shadows.

"I'll see you soon, dear. In the meantime, have fun with that."

Dark's POV:

I laid her on the cot, arranging her limps comfortably. I cursed her stubborn nature; if she'd only let me help... I sighed and sat to wait for her to awaken. I didn't have to wait long. Her eyes fluttered open about two minutes later, but not even I could have predicted what happened next.

Her eyes opened, looking around a bit before finally coming to rest on me. Her expression morphed into one of abject terror as she scrambled off the other side of the bed and ran to the wall on the other side of the room. Confused, I stood to ask what was troubling her when she threw out her hands in frontof her.

"No! No, stay back!"


	53. Chapter 55

Jericho's POV:

"No! No, get away from me, stay back!" I cried, huddling in the corner to get as far away from him as possible. I saw him flinch back at the force of my voice, cocking his head in confusion.

"...Jericho?"

My eyes widened at the sound of his voice as I clapped my hands over my ears and whimpered, staring at the floor to avoid his eyes. A girl and three guys ran into the room. "What happened, Dark?" Asked the girl.

"I don't know, Signe," Said the man in front of me named Dark. His eyes remained intent on me as he crouched in front of me cautiously, his hands held out to make sure I knew he meant no harm. I gasped and whimpered in terror as he reached for me. I shot a leg out to kick his hand away, but he caught my foot and began pulling me towards him. I shrieked and struggled against his grip as he pulled me up and against him, trapping my arms to my side. He spoke softly as he looked down at me,

"Jericho, I know you are frightened, but you must be calm for a time. Do as we say, and we'll get through whatever this is together. Alright?" He murmured down to me as I gazed back with terrified surprise. I nodded slowly, a look of intense fear and doubt plain on my face. He sighed and let me go except for my hand, which he held in his.

"Come, Let's get her something to eat and drink- perhaps she's delirious," he said as he led me out, the other people following behind us. Where was I? Who were they?

And why were they with the man who killed my parents?


	54. Chapter 56

The one they called Dark led me by the hand through a couple stone rooms and hallways, the other four following behind. I could hear their nervous whispers as we walked. We finally came to what looked like a sitting area, once again made from stone and lit by strange glowing flowers. It was actually quite cozy looking in an alien way. It was a shame I couldn't enjoy it with 'Dark' hanging off of me. I trembled the entire time I shakily let myself be led to a small stone couch covered with thick moss-like cushions. He sat me down on the couch and kneeled in front of me, examining my face intently. I squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny as his eyes searched mine, but I found I couldn't avoid his bloody, yet somehow warm gaze.

I nervously clutched my hand in my lap. squeezing and rubbing my fingers. Suddenly, Dark put his hands on either side of my legs and stood, leaning over me. His face was inches from mine, but I still couldn't look away. The only way to describe how what happened next felt is to say that I somehow felt another presence in my head besides my own. It felt scary and new, but also extremely familiar. Dark let his forehead rest against mine, closing his eyes.

"Fell Jinxed her memories and even planted false ones. She remembers nothing in the past month other than being afraid of me."

There were collective gasps around the room and a bitter curse from The one named Signe. "How did he get past her wards? And your half-bond?" She asked angrily. Dark leaned away from me finally and turned to address the others standing behind him directly. I sighed in relief.

Dark crossed his arms. "I grossly underestimated his power. To break through magic like Jericho's from that distance, without even knowing where we are..." He shook his head, "Our situation may be worse than we thought."

"What memories did my doppleganger put in her head?" Asked the tall blonde man slowly, as if he didn't really want to hear the answer.

"He brainwashed her to think that I killed her parents," He said gravely in a calm tone that I could tell veiled vast amounts of rage. The blonde man hung his head, running a hand through his hair as he walked out of the room. The one with the green hair followed him. Filled with a sudden hot flare of anger at the reminder of what that bastard had done, I stood up and pulled my fist back, aiming for his head. He ducked to the side and caught it behind him, whirling around and twisting my arm behind my back. It didn't hurt, but I stopped breathing anyway, scared to death of the murderer who was restraining me. I trembled a bit in fear, drawing a sigh from the man behind me. I pushed past it, though.

"You DID kill my parents, you fucking PSYCHO! I will end you, no matter WHAT it takes! That's a PROMISE" I Yelled hoarsely, struggling to glare at him over my shoulder. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Still talking a big game, I see; I certainly remember that little quality of Betting with money you don't have. I have so dearly missed this side of you, but this is not the time. I need you to be brave for me now. Everything will be clear in a moment."

The other guy with red hair spoke, now behind my back.

"Is it Permanent?" He said worriedly.

"No, he doesn't have THAT much power over Jericho. It's deep-seated though, so it'll take time," The lady said tersely, "Her recovery time depends on however Dark plans to untangle Fell's influence from her psyche."

I yelped as Dark released my hand and scooped me up bridal style, curling me against his firm chest. I began to push against him when his voice rumbled against my body. "Be still and Don't resist. I don't want to hurt you by mistake, Jericho. Leave her to me!" He called over his shoulder as he exited the room with me lying complacently in his arms.

Wiishu's POV:

Mark and I watched them leave the room. Mark sat down heavily on the sofa, scrubbing his hands down his face. "I still don't really believe any of this. In the back of my mind I still think I'm going to wake up and see that this was all just a crazy, wacked out dream. Like maybe I ate to much pepperoni. You know?"

I sat down beside him. "I know. It's hard, but you guys will adapt. You're in it for the long haul, so you'll have to get used to it. Speaking of which," I crossed my legs and turned my body towards him, cocking my head curiously, "How DID you take down that Elite? There were only very weak wards around that room, we were just hoping they wouldn't find you."

"Oh, that masked girl that you tied up in the other room? Yeah, it was the weirdest thing," Mark said, crossing his arms and sitting back as his brow furrowed a bit at the memory, "She kicked open the door and flew straight at us, but just before she got to us, she stopped in midair and fell to the floor."

I raised my brows incredulously. "What? Are you sure that's what happened?"

He scratched the back of his head, shrugging. "Well, I didn't see it because my arms were in front of my face, but that's what Felix told me. she was on the floor when I lowered my arms." He shrugged again, looking at me like I might have an answer.

I most certainly did not. I shook my head, standing and grabbing my Caduceus from it's place leaning on the arm of the couch. "That's strange. I'll look into it with Mikhail and interrogate the Elite as well. We'll get to you and your friend's training a bit later."

"Oh! Training, sweet!" Mark said excitedly as I turned to leave. He ran out of the room, probably to inform his buddies of the news. I smiled as I walked out to go find my friend. We'd see how excited he was when we actually got down to it.

I froze as I heard a scream that could only be Jericho's echoing through the stone walls. I shook my head and kept walking, cursing Fell softy as I went. He would pay for this, dearly.

Eventually, I heard her voice bouncing faintly off the walls. I followed the noise and found her in Mikhail's room, tending to him as he laid on the bed. The knives were cursed, so I knew he could be out for awhile.

"How is he?" I asked the land sprite, leaning casually on the door frame. She stopped mumbling to herself long enough to look at me and grin over her glasses.

"Much, much better. Thanks to me, of course," She batted her eyelashes haughtily at me.

"Yes yes, you're a very talented woman. I'm glad to see he's pulling through; Those bastard can land a hit. one of them ripped up my shoulder, almost severed the muscle completely." I shuddered.

"Ew. Hey, I heard a human scream, should I be worried?" she asked as she turned back to her patient to light a smudge stick. I chuckled at her nonchalance.

"No, that's just a gift from our old friend Fell 'iikh that Dark is taking care of. A memory Jinx," I explained, "A powerful one. It's going to be painful to reverse, enough so that by the time he's done, we'll have two comatose comrades on our hands."

"Please. You'll not be getting rid of me THAT easily, Witch," Came Mikhail's raspy grumble from the bed. He still had his eyes closed, but his mouth was twitched up in a small, uncharacteristic smile.

"Micky!" I wooped, Rushing to hug him even as he lay prone on the cot. He winced and pushed me off lightly, smile replaced by his usual dour expression. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"In light of the fact that you both have probably had a hand in saving my life, I'll choose to ignore that. I'm assuming we are in the-" He stopped as another of Jericho's screams echoed through the halls again. His eyes widened as he struggled to get up, but I stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Let me explain. Don't worry, you didn't miss much."


	55. Chapter 57

Dark's POV:

I laid her on a large mossy wooden bed in the corner of one of the green, flowery bedrooms, making sure that it was in a far corner of the grotto. I didn't want any interruptions. As soon as I let her go, she scrambled away to the far edge of the bed where it met the wall, huddling in the corner to get away from me. It hurt, seeing her cringe away from me in fear like she used to. It was a sight I had hoped never to see again. I kept my emotions off my face, not wanting to startle her as I slowly lowered myself to sit on the edge of the bed across from her, one leg bent sideways on the bed so I could turn to her.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked, trying valiantly to keep her voice steady. I brushed my mind to hers slightly, listening in to her outermost thoughts. I cringed at the fear induced thoughts she had screaming through her skull.

"None of what you're thinking. You have an incredibly... creative imagination, dear. I'm not sure if I'm more worried or proud." I leaned over to lightly clasp her ankle, stroking it with my thumb while holding it firmly so she couldn't get away. "Jericho. Look at me," I commanded softly. Her terrified ice blue eyes rose to mine. I influenced her mind just a little as I held her gaze captive, exerting the slightest bit of pressure to soothe her anxious state. I sent my shadows down my arm and up her legs, stroking her skin and sending pleasant feelings through the connection. Her breathing calmed, eyes drooping as I began lulling her into a more passive state.

When I was sure she couldn't fight back too much, I stood, taking her feet and pulling them down so that she laid flat on the bed. I still held her sleepy gaze, even as a spike of fear rushed through her system that was so potent that I had to remind myself that she was not my prey. But God, was it ever delicious.

I shook myself out of it, focusing once more on my future Bond Mate. Her hooded eyes filled with tears even as they closed, falling down her face to the green moss below as her head slid to the side. I braced myself and delved into her subconscious to see exactly what I needed to pay Fell 'iikh back for.

In Jericho's head:

I was in Jericho's old bedroom. The colors and textures in this memory were stark, almost seeming sharper than they had in real life. This was an impressive forgery, deeply imprinted and masterfully woven. I had my work cut out for me.

The scene in front of me was both familiar and foreign. This was the very first night she'd seen my face, when I met her in that towel. I was watching myself trap her against the wall as I savored her fear, just like before. The only difference was that I was covered with red blood that contrasted frighteningly with my pale gray skin. I looked like I'd just been in a battle or had a particularly messy meal. I then realized that the latter option was probably just what happened in this memory.

"Please..." She whispered brokenly as my other self ignored her, chuckling and leaning in closer.

"Mmmm... Your fear feels absolutely _incredible,_ Jericho. Even better than your mother's," He said, nipping at her neck and drawing a cry from her with both his words and actions. He lapped at the blood dripping down her neck.

"Your father didn't feel much fear for himself, you know. I think watching his wife being torn apart and sucked into a husk broke him before I could. He just sat there and let me slit his throat without a peep. Not _nearly_ as fun."

I watched in horror and disgust at the things coming out of my mouth, wanting nothing more than for this to end. But I knew I had to see this through to the end in order to find everything I was to expel. My twin's face brightened suddenly, making my stomach churn uneasily at the thought of what might be going on behind that sly smile.

"Well, she's not _dead_ at least, Just damaged a bit. Do you want to see her, little Jericho? Would that make you feel better?"

I felt my chest tighten sharply as she stopped and nodded slowly, willing to believe anything that would allow her a tiny bit of hope. I knew exactly what he was planning, though. I would skin Fell alive for this. "Alright, but just because I like you," He said, chuckling as he led her out of the room. I followed close behind, the pain in my chest growing with every step.

The hallway from her room to the living room was splattered with blood. The closer we got to the living room, the more there was until we finally entered the living room...

 _Oh God, Jericho..._

Her father was splayed onto the floor beside the arm chair on his back, looking as if he'd fallen out of it at an awkward angle. His arms and legs were broken in different places and his throat was slit nearly halfway through so that his head lolled back unnaturally, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream that he never had the chance to voice as he breathed his last. There was a deep puddle of blood staining the carpet black underneath him.

Jericho let out a cry, clapping her hands over her mouth and sobbing as she took in the scene. The monster she saw as me leaned down behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and hips before she could fall limply to the floor. He took a deep breath of her hair, probably savoring her terror and grief. "Aw, I know darling, I know," He said with false sympathy as he slid a hand to her neck to cradle her jaw, "It's hard. But don't you want to find your mother? Can you be brave for a bit longer, child?" He spoke in a sick mockery of my words that night. I cried out inwardly as Jericho nodded shakily, still unable to look away from her father's battered corpse.

"Where... where's my m-mom?" She asked quietly with a begging tone in her voice. He grinned maliciously.

"Just beyond the dining room, in the kitchen. See for yourself."

She somehow found her footing and he let her go. She ran on trembling legs to the kitchen as my doppleganger laughed and followed. I knew already what lay on the kitchen floor. It was obvious enough to infer from the way he was talking earlier. I closed my eyes as I heard her agonized scream, reluctantly following them into the kitchen. There was no blood this time, no broken bones... it was worse. So, so much worse.

Jericho was on her knees beside her mother, cradling her face as she lay spread eagle on the ground. Her skin was bleak and colorless, her bones visible all throughout her emaciated body. Her eye sockets were sunken into her skull, surrounded by harsh purple bags that were so severe that they looked like bruises. Her blank eyes were a dead milky white color that completed the hauntingly vacant look that she wore. Her chest moved slowly up and down, but she was not alive.

Not even _close._

"Mom...m-mom, please... p-please wake up, d-don't leave m-me... _mom_..." she sobbed pitifully as she stared into her mother's cold eyes, smoothing the hair out of her face as she searched fruitlessly for any sign of life, _real life._

She wouldn't find any. Not in this nightmare. The Dark in this memory leaned indolently on the counter just behind her, greatly amused by the show Jericho was giving him. "Do you know what a 'Husk' is, Jericho?" He didn't wait for an answer as she continued to cry softly on the floor before him.

"A Husk is created when a Demon or other creature with a similar diet feeds on everything _but_ the victim's life force. We take their thoughts, their memories, their emotions, even a bit of their blood, more and more and more until all that we're left with is..." He nudged the half-corpse on the ground with his foot, drawing a pained cry from Jericho as she covered the place he'd kicked with her own body.

". _..A Husk_ ," He finished. He bent down, taking hold of Jericho's wrists and pulling her up to face him. She was limp in his arms as he held her arms above her head so that her feet barely touched the floor. "And now all _you're_ left with...is _me."_

He dropped one of her arms so that he could trap her jaw with his hand. "You are _mine,_ little girl. Your body, soul, and mind all belong to me. You don't have to answer; You don't have a choice."

Jericho's gasps and cries became softer and weaker until she hung limply from his arms, barely conscious. He let her fall to the ground beside her mother, beginning to dissolve.

"I'll see you soon, Jericho..." He hissed as the memory began to dissolve with him. I hung my head as the apartment went dark around me. The worst part about all this was that I had said and done similar things many times before. I was more than capable of that extreme brand of cruelty that I had just witnessed. But not to her.

Never to her.


	56. Chapter 58

Fell's POV:

"So how long is this memory thing supposed to last?" Anti asked. I opened an eye, stretching languidly as I came out of my trance. It was time for a break any way; he wouldn't have dared disturb me if it were otherwise.

"Without interference? Virtually forever. Dark will probably break the jinx in a day or two though." I yawned, standing, "the only reason I did such an impermanent thing was to delay their bonding until we can get to them. if only for a bit."

I grinned at Anti. "And I'm getting closer to their location. Come; We're catching a plane to the east."

Dark's POV:

I withdrew from her mind to immediately be assaulted by her terrified screams in the waking world. She was thrashing about in her sleep, kicking and tossing from side to side in panic. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I attempted to hold her steady so that I could put a hand to her forehead, but she was too far gone in her hysteria for even me to reach her. I cursed and settled for holding her as best I could, stroking her lovely white hair.

"Here, this'll help," said a voice from behind me. I turned to see Signe's sprite friend holding out a charm. Ah, a sleep charm! I hadn't had a hand on any of mine since Fell invaded my home. I snatched it from her hurriedly, holding it to Jericho's sweaty forehead. It didn't help much, but it gave me the foothold I needed to put her under. I sighed in relief as she finally fell silent, her face going slack.

"It'll be okay, Dark. She'll pull through," the sprite who's name I didn't care enough to remember said sympathetically. I didn't respond, instead opting to hold Jericho tighter and plant a kiss on her precious head.

I saw movement in my peripheral vision, rolling my eyes to the heavens when I saw the three stooges poke their heads in the door. "Is is okay to come in Now?" Asked the blonde one...Felix, right? I guess I didn't really care about any of their names.

"Fine, you may as well; I know you care for her too," I said, motioning them in tiredly. They enter the room somberly, looking to me in silent question. I sighed.

"Before you ask, she's too worn out right now for me to continue. The poison that Fell spewed into her head is powerful, and I don't want to hurt her by rushing the process."

The boys looked like they had something else to say, but Signe called from the foyer:

"Paging all humans, Demons, Sprites and Hunters! This is not a drill!"

I snorted at her theatrics before gathering up my love in my arms and doing as the witch bid, not wanting to let her out of my sight in this state. The land sprite simply sent me a cheeky salute and melted into the floor.

I followed the boys into the open garden that was the foyer. Lush green grass and clovers carpeted the ground, decorated by bioluminescent flowers of every shape and color that grew freely. Ivy of several kinds sidled up the walls of the cavern towards the small hole in the ceiling that served as a skylight. The furniture was grown straight out of the ground in shapes that couldn't possibly have occured naturally, covered in the cushy moss that served as furnishing in place of cloth and pillows. I looked forward to seeing Jericho's reaction when she finally saw this for her own eyes.

Signe and Mikhail were awaiting us in the center of the room, she lounging comfortably on a mossy couch, and he standing by her side leaning on a cane. The Sprite shot up from the ground beside them.

"I think that look suits you, Mikhail," teased Sean, "you look much more your age." His buddies hid their smiles at this. They recieved only a peeved look from the old Knight.

"You'd do well to keep in mind that I can still throttle all of you to the other side of the Jordan, wounded or not," he scoffed abrasively. That seemed to sober the boys up a little.

Signe shook her head and smiled. "Aaaaanyway, if were all done ticking off Mikhail, I'd like to introduce someone to you that I didn't get the opportunity to before with all that craziness in the desert that we had to recover from. Everybody, This is my friend amilahakameshgesuva-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, miishi," the sprite interupted before turning to us, "my given name is seventeen syllables, so you guys can just call me Amy. And welcome to my grotto! Make yourselves at home!"


	57. Chapter 59

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="441afa9069196646cd4304b37908e5db""Okay! so what's this I hear about training?" Wiishu clapped her hands and rubbed them together. Mark and Felix perked up at this./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3e0bffd2f145bb5caeba5b5cd50f5703""Just the basics," Mikhail said sternly, "we haven't the time to go much in depth. As for you two, we begin in an hour. Felix, you'll be with me first for self defense and weapons. Mark, Miishu has requested that you begin lessons with her for magic and mental techniques. Our host will be your sparring partner. Youll switch off in four hours."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c6794dad1986c94a5a9c22441d3c2ef5""FOUR HOURS!?" Mark and Felix exclaimed in an incredulous unison. Mikhail's mouth twitched up in a small smile, probably at the thought of getting to torture the two of them for a couple hours./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfdaf37d8f7b4331f5f398416e15ddeb""No complaints, you'll only make it worse for yourself. He then turned to me, his eyes softening as they fell on the girl in my arms. "Dark, focus on healing Jericho; we'll not be requiring your services for awhile." I nodded and started back to the room i was in before. I would have my Jericho back, no matter what I had to do./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5c1118dfcf4d67a916d2942c1ade6d18"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Meesha's Pov/em/span /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="595461b26e3faaf21636b48976d5b962"I found myself standing before not only the high council, but the White King himself. My motives and involvement with Mikhail we being brought into question because of my known affiliations with him thirty seven years ago. They had been asking me standard criteria: what was my opinion on his disappearance, did I have anything to do with it, had Mikhail spoken to me prior, etcetera. I was growing weary of the drilling./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b38fa5d69e08aeff6bfccb8bf9cf634""Your Highness, I move that I be allowed to pursue Mikhail Icarod myself. I know him well, how he thinks, how he operates. Let me go find him and bring him to justice; I know that there is no better operative for the job than I," I implored as I looked up at him from his lofty seat above the rest of the council. The rest of the members look to him as he considered my request./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6f63ed886fd90dfff960d82c1070137c""I second your motion, despite the fact that the one being interrogated usually cannot make them. The second chair will fill your post as head of the branch council until your return. Assemble a task force and bring the Druid, vessels, and the knight into custody. You may depart immediately."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7a44a30239fff9f3f61e2a10caf2dbc9""Thank you, sire. I will bring them home in the name of the light."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="332d29172da087d7ff946ece6211d956"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Mark's POV: /em/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2f5ea947f08635535e8788d8fc6a7702"I was really nervous. Like, first date level nervousness over here. It was bad. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="94daa5aa702a7e7fd122ab85f3944c75"Wiishu had jusy finished lecturing me thoroughly about the dangers of magical items if used improperly. Amy watched the entire time, sitting cross legged on the floor a couple feet away. She was part of the reason I was so nervous; I kept getting distracted by her. I kept doing that weird thing where you avoid eye contact but then it somehow makes it even more awkward. Every time I looked at her, her smile was sweet and friendly, but I still felt super awkward and embarrassed./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="acd46dd642a9c922a35c0ba77b9240a2"God I'm such a fuckin dork./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c968891a16273b0a58f121d8414e4cc7"Wiishu finally paused for breath. "Okay! That's enough boring stuff right now; let's get started with some light meditation, shall we?" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="76688582977e048a11e3c538fff7370f"I tried hard not to groan or throw a little tantrum on the floor. Meditation? Really? Fuck me. She patted a patch of clover across from her as she sat down. Amy formed right out of the ground beside her, making me jump so hard I almost fell over. Her giggle was worth it, though./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="155d82fda3b91cbc8247982484743c65"Wiishu got right into it without missing a beat. "Here, hold these," she said as she plopped two big crystals in my hand. Were those quartz? Pretty!/p  
p class="fixed-ratio" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; position: relative; height: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 571.75px; text-align: center; color: #555555;" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" data-p-id="aea132c87981260c127962eac539ed1d" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9207114c9e92cd543ca780ded10407a4""Alright. Now close your eyes and empty your mind. Make sure you sit up straight to promote good energy flow, too. Relax, breathe deeply, in...out...in...out..."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9aa070043c8ea5043409ea1fc69622c0"She coached me through in a soothing voice that made it easy to do as she asked. Soon enough, I felt like I was floating in the clouds. "Hey... I feel a little... uhmm..." I trailed off as I drifted away. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f8970379b6c3a06686f55eac333a22df"'Man, this feels weird... too late to back out now...'br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c4adf871602ed36a6d43e22be37a142b"Wiishu POV: /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d1a2713731b2b1f42e0eea1fe1add342"Once he was under, I began to guide him through the process of drawing out His third eye. This wasn't actually a meditation session; I was gauging his power. The Elite girl didn't just fall on her own, and I had to figure out how. I kept my voice low and calm as I continued./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d450d11c41adccb4b36c56df1dee74da""Now imagine a tiny white dot of light. It's inside you, in the center of your chest, just below your clavicle. Hold that little speck of light tightly now; don t let it go. The little light is growing now, slowly and steadily getting hotter and brighter as it expands. The light spills out of your chest and rushes to the rest of your body like a shining river of sunlight. It pools in your head, your stomach, your arms and legs..."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="969fb724e4b55a49f4f79b18d35841db"Ah. There it was. There was a faint glow behind his fluttering eyelids as his eyes darted back and forth beneath them. I pause before continuing. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="80b2172f7264e8e9c220db4a91f77423" "Now Let the light take over. Let the heat fill you up. Become one with the energy pulsing through you. There is no more Mark Fishbach; there is only the light flowing through this body. Now... push the heat into your hands."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dd1355195d309c53fd73071d7ded6c8c"Amy and I watched intently as I finished. The glow behind his eyes intensified as his hair was ruffled by a nonexistent breeze. His hand that held the crystals slowly tightened around them. They began to shine from within, growing brighter and brighter until I couldn't see the crystals themselves behind the glaring brilliance of the light that they were emitting. The light shifted into a firey red-orange hue. This was.../p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0d2d7b5ac5e64061afe12845b5c498a9""Amy!" I yelled, scampering out of the line of fire./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cacf6d78ba9ec068604666dfcfc5012e""Gotcha!" She crouched quickly in front of Mark, gripping his head by pressing her thumbs on his forehead and the others to his temple. She blinked, and when she reopened her eyes, they were white. She grunted and stared Into his eyes, focusing intensely. I could see the red energy flowing out of Mark, up her arms, and into her. Mark's eyes gradually dimmed, eventually drooping closed as he groaned and collapsed into her arms in a dead faint./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="df945dfd22f9ea2f20138cd808b8cab4"I shared an uneasy and frightened look with Amy as she laid him out gently on the ground. What were the chances that Mark would be...br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8e53967330029eef307382328f255bdf"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Mikhail's POV: /em/span/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec982185e3f3092559a681d9be3f836a"We'd been at it for three hours. The boy was gasping and panting, while I had barely broken a sweat. Id considered cutting him some slack several times before reminding myself that our enemies would not afford the same courtesy. Maybe I was getting soft in my old age. When I finally told him to stop, he prompty laid on the floor and closed his eyes with out saying a word./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3759190817694f38f1e6edd177abe24a"I chuckled and linked with Signe to say that we'd better let the boys rest for a bit. She agrees./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="96c7832a0cf6d1d01c61ad94759d9b16"'Mikhail, there's been a bit of a developement with Mark that could spell trouble if we don't handle it carefully. I need to tend to him now, but I'll explain in an hour once I'm completely sure what this is.'/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7172010e597adce0dc5e8a5fdb9cc365"I mentally nodded. 'That will be fine, Signe. In fact, I have news pertaining to our Swede as well. In the meantime, I'm going to have a little chat with our guest.'br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /p 


	58. Chapter 60

Mikhail's Pov

I entered the cell quietly, locking the door behind me as I stepped in. The room could hardly be called a cell; it looked much the same as the rest of the grotto, with ivy and flowers climbing gracefully across the walls with an intricacy seldom seen in the natural world. I had to hand it to the Sprite; when it came to interior decorating, she would always be a master.

The Elite girl was loosely chained to the wall on the far side of the room by a flowery vine that wove around her arm and wrist. It looked flimsy, but the earth magic held firm. She was slumped against the wall, her breathing weak, probably from lack of water. We had been unable to give her any in the desert because of her stubborn refusal to remove the mask.

It looked like Amy had done everything she could to make the 'prisoner' comfortable; she'd fashioned a cot of soft moss and lush grass, and placed multiple pitchers of water and plates of fruit, nuts, berries, and jerky within the girl's reach. The sprite's generosity was wasted on her obstinance, though. I leaned back on the wall with my arms folded, examining her.

"...You're going to die, you know."

I received no answer.

"If this keeps up, you'll be dead within days. Would it not be wiser to keep up your strength?"

Silence.

I sighed, shaking my head. "We're not your enemies, Agent. All I ask-"

"You certainly act like it, REAPER," she bit out scathingly. I was surprised; that was the first time she'd spoken. The voice was higher pitched and blatantly feminine, lilting with an accent I couldn't quite place. It was not at all what I had expected to hear coming from behind that mask.

"And why speak now, pray tell?"

She let out a bitter little laugh that turned into a cough as her dry throat was irritated by the motion. "It hardly matters. Two more days and I won't be your problem anymore."

I was quiet for a time as I observed her. "We are not out to use you as a bargaining chip or torture you for information. Not everyone employs the tactics so favored by the resistance. We had an opportunity to avoid killing you, and we took it. Simple as that. What you do from here is your choice, but know this: keeping yourself alive does not make you weak."

I left without saying another word.

? Pov

I thought about his words for a long time as i lay against the wall, my breaths short as I made myself inhale painfully over and over. I eventually realized the truth behind his words; there was no point In throwing myself needlessly into martyrdom for my pride. Better that I live to return to my comrades to tell the tale. Better that I continue to fight.

I reached up slowly and pulled off my mask.

Dark's POV:

I continued to siphon energy from her spirit to mine and back again, expelling as much of the negative energy as I could when it passed through me. I had been at it for hours with no end in sight. I sighed and broke the connection. I couldn't do this on my own, not without hurting my chances at a bond with her. The healing needed to come just as much from her will as it did mine.

I had to make her trust me.

But how in the nine circles of hell was I supposed to go about that when she believed with all her heart that I murdered her parents and mocked her with their blood? I cursed. This would be difficult, nearly impossible. But I had to try.

I closed my eyes and reached out to her again, blanketing her spirit with mine as i pulled her deeper into unconsciousness. I laid down next to her on my back, intertwining my fingers with hers. And I began.

Jericho's POV:

I was walking through the halls of some green wonderland. The flowers and trees that shone with their own soft light were some of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I wandered aimlessly as I took in my surroundings.

"Jericho."

I stopped cold when his voice echoed in my ears. I whipped my head around, eyes darting back and forth nervously as I searched for the source of the silky tone. It felt funny, hearing him say my name. I didn't know if I liked it...

I slammed the gate on that train of thought. "Where are you? Why are you doing this?!" I cried, backing up into a wall and sliding to the floor. I pulled my knees to my chest as I shivered, overcome with terror and rage in equal portions. Rage and resentment for my parent's fate, and overwhelming terror that I would meet the same fate.

"No," I heard the voice say again, softer this time, "Not you. Never you. I promised you, remember? I swore that I'd never hurt you again, Jericho..."

My trembling began to slow as his beautiful timbre carressed my ears, like a lullaby. The second I made that comparison in my mind, his disembodied voice began to hum a soft melody. I felt as if he was holding me, his voice wrapped around instead of his arms. I let my head fall back as I listened. He began to sing soft words in between his vocalizations in a language I couldn't pinpoint. I wanted nothing more in that second than to run to him and bask in his dark voice forever.

No.

I shot to my feet, shaking myself out of my daze. "Stop It! Get out of my head, dammit!" I yelled, turning tail and bolting blindly down the hallway. I heard a sigh echo through my mind. Obviously he hadn't listened.

I let out a frustrated scream through gritted teeth as I ran, turning corners at random. I began to realize that this place wasn't very big; I'd come across the same room at least twice now.

Wait! Those were people!

Three of the people that were with Dark earlier were sitting on the ground in the big room I'd just entered. "Hey! HEY! You have to help me, he's...he's..." my voice tapered off as I realized they couldn't hear a thing I was saying. What was going on?

"They can't hear you because you're not really here. You're in your spectral form, as am I. I wanted privacy, but your mind isn't the safest place at the moment."

I began running again the second I heard his voice in my head. "Then put me back in my body!"

"No," he said simply.

I stopped, whirling around and ramming my hand into the dirt wall. "Why? Why are you so fixated on me? Why can't you just leave me alone?!" I screamed at the ceiling.

"Because I made a promise to you that you would never be alone again." He began humming that tune again, the lullaby. I didn't know how I knew it was a lullaby, but it disturbed me that I did. It made me feel funny as I listened, tickled a ghost of a memory in the back of my mind that faded in and out of existence with each verse.

I sagged against the wall, wrapping my arms around myself. "What's that song? Why do you keep singing It?"

He paused for a moment before continuing to sing softly. I shook my head in a fruitless attempt to clear it. I knew that song. A cold city street. Flickering streetlamps. Snow.

A man.

"I...I know that song," I said shakily. "I know..." my voice cracks as I stop, not wanting to voice what I'd begun to say. He finally stopped singing.

"You know me," his voice rang through my head.

I nodded despite myself. "Who are you to me? I know you. I know you..."

A swath of silver-black shadows suddenly rise from the ground, swirling around me gracefully in gentle eddies. My knees buckled at the familiar, comforting feeling. The darkness clinges to me lovingly, holding me in an icy, yet warm embrace. Confused tears fill my eyes as my mind and body tore down two completely different paths.

And then he was suddenly there, shushing me and holding me as I cried. I let myself lean against him despite my mind screaming at me to run.

He ran his hand through my hair and rubbed my back soothingly. "Trust me, darling. Let me in. Come to me, Jericho..."

I shut my eyes tight as my head began to pound. Oh God it hurt... so much...

I looked up at him as my vision faded. "Dark..."

The last thing I felt was him pressing his lips to my forehead.


	59. Chapter 61

Signe's POV:

"How did your talk with the 'prisoner' go? I asked as Mikhail rounded the corner into the sitting room.

He sighed a bit as he lowered himself onto the wood surface, propping his cane up on the side of the chair. "Well, I made some headway. I don't think she wants to kill herself anymore if that's what you're wondering."

"Hey! Progress! Anyway, back to that little thing I told you about..." I said. He nodded.

"I have news as well. Would you like to go first or should I?" He asked.

I sat up straight and waved my hand frantically in the air. "Oh! Me me, pick me !" I crowed excitedly. He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Signe..."

My smile died as I decided to be serious for once. "...Mark's an Evoker."

Mikhail's eyes flew wide open, his hand dropping from his face. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. You're not _that_ old," I quipped with a teasing but grave tone. He scrubbed his hands over his face, looking as if he had a migraine.

"I suppose this means that you and the Sprite will be teaching him exclusively?" He said, looking at me tiredly.

"Yeah. He needs other magic specialists and energy manipulators to teach him, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm the best in the biz," I said haughtily, flipping my hair behind my shoulder smugly. "Now what was-"

"Felix is a Seether," came his clipped reply, "It was difficult to spot, but it's there. Of course, Seethers aren't nearly as rare as Evokers, but..."

I sat back and whistled. "I'll let you handle that. I'm not going anywhere near that mess." I shook my head in disbelief at our luck. Did it have something to do with the power of the Demons they were bonded to for twenty years each?

It hurt my head to think about it.  
"Welp!" I said, pushing on my knees to stand, "Good talk! Imma go find Irish and get under his skin a bit. Laterrrrs!"

I shot a wave over my shoulder even as I heard Mikhail scoff at my antics. I grinned.

Man did I ever love being me.

Elite's POV:

My first tentative sip was literal heaven. I had to force myself to hold back from downing all three jugs of water in a rush, pacing myself to avoid vomiting. I'd been there before and was understandably hesitant to put myself in that situation again.

I finally finished the entire water jug and turned to replace my mask before someone returned. I may have given in to the water and food, but they would have to _earn_ a look at my face.

My hand came up empty when I reached for where I was sure I'd left it. I looked around frantically for a moment before seeing the item in question halfway across the room, well out of my reach. Had I somehow kicked it away in my rush to rehydrate?

" _Porca miseria!"_ I cursed bitterly. I glared at my mask, willing some latent telekinetic ability to magically appear in my head. I grunted and slammed my fist into the floor, slumping against the wall. I closed my eyes against an oncoming migraine. _Cazzo_.

It was not two seconds later that my eyes sprang open wide at the sound of footsteps and scraping metal. I kept my head lowered, not wanting whoever it was to see my face. I glanced at the space my mask had taken up and saw that it was gone; The small scrape of metal must have been the person picking up the mask.

"Hey, uh...is this yours?" Came an unsure tenor through the tense silence.

"What do you think?" I snapped. I could see his feet plant themselves in a way that made me think he was crossing his arms. His foot tapped twice.

"Well since you _asked_ , I think you're very rude."

"I'm not exactly going out of my way to be an upstanding guest at the moment. I'm a prisoner, in case you're too thick skulled to see that on your own," I sneered at him as best I could from my angle.

He was silent for a second. I laughed a bit. "What- does the cat have your tongue, boy?"

"You're very beautiful, you know."

I groaned and lifted my head at his quiet words to look him in the eye. He was tall, a bit over six feet by my estimation. He was a bit lanky, with a slightly slouched posture. Blonde wisps of hair fell into his angular face, framing his slanted blue eyes. He wasn't that bad looking himself.

"Great. When did you See me?" I sighed in defeat. He smirked, crossing his arms and dangling the mask from one finger.

"Just now, when you showed me."

I stared for one incredulous second before my face twisted Into what I knew was a nasty glare that struck fear in the hearts of both my enemies and my comrades. To my eternal annoyance, his smirk only widened.

"I've known you for two minutes and I already hate you. Congratulations, you've broken the record," I growled as I sat back against the wall, propping one knee up to rest my elbow on it.

He grinned. "I'm honored, ma'am. Who did I beat out of the spot?"

"The last man I assassinated," I said without inflection. He laughed as if I had just meant that as a joke. I continued to glower at him as he chortled, fantasizing about how many ways I could skin the little meat he had off his bones.

"But I wasn't lying," he said, still grinning cheekily at me. I didn't respond but to shoot him a questioning look.

"I wasn't lying when I said you were beautiful. I didn't really know until you lifted your head, but I could tell. I'm really reluctant to hand over this mask now..."

I bristled at the compliment. I was just about to tell him to go fuck himself in English AND Italian when he suddenly stepped towards me and held out the mask. I blinked before slowly raising my hand to take it, waiting for a catch. None came.

"Listen," he said, stepping back and scratching the back of his head, "all joking aside, I don't know why you're choosing to hide, but I won't fight you on it. Even though I really don't want you to hide that face," he paused to grin at the latest scowl that had erupted on said face before sighing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you're just too easy to mess with. I mean you're so serious, how can I NOT tease You? This apology is getting off track the POINT IS," he held up a finger, "that I'm willing to keep your beauty a secret in exchange for the privilege of seeing it again. Deal?"

I looked at the hand he held out to me. "Two things," I said dryly, "one, I can't be held accountable for my actions- say, breaking your wrist for example- when I shake your hand. Two," I continued, noting without surprise that he hadn't retracted his hand at my threat, "You gave away your bargaining chip. I already have my mask back." I wiggled it a bit in the air to emphasize my point.

He nodded his concession. "Well yeah, but I was thinking that maybe you could take it off when you wanted to, instead of me holding it over your head like the asshole I am."

I was taken aback, not expecting such a gentlemanly gesture from the boy. I cocked my head at him curiously.

"What's your name, boy?"

He balked at me incredulously. "Boy? You can't be much older than me! Ah geez..." He ran his hand through his blonde hair, chuckling a bit.

"My name is Felix. And you are?"

I considered him before answering.

"Marzia."


	60. Chapter 62

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"Why were their eyes that color?"

"HEY! Hey they're waking up! Everyone get in here, they're waking up!"

Jericho POV:

My brain felt like it had been stampeded by a herd of buffalo after being run through a lion's digestive system after stumbling off the side of the cliff in the worst hangover of my life. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter against the pounding in my skull. I cracked my lips open and attempted to form words with my sandy mouth.

"Jesus, shut _up._.. ugh..."

I heard laughter and a couple shushes before they were finally silent. I peeled open a single eye slightly to see the sources of the disturbance. My smile was so wide that I actually got a cheek cramp for a minute. There they were:

Sean. Mark. Felix. Wiishu. Mikhail. And another girl I didn't know that was helping Mark stand for some reason, but I could worry about that later. Each of their smiles was as bright as my own- even Mikhail had a little twitch at the corner of his mouth. My heart tightened as the pain in my head began to wan. Everything seemed so much brighter now that I had these people back in my life; people who loved me, who cared if I lived or died. Speaking of which... _someone_ was missing. I heard a dark chuckle at my back as a pair of arms that I wasn't aware of tightened around me.

And there he was.

I turned my head to be met with a soft pair of lips moving slowly against mine, sweetly coaxing a response from me. There were some 'boos' and other sounds of disgust, making me and my Demon laugh and have to break the kiss. I turned back around to see Wiishu herding everyone out of the room, save Mikhail, who was already gone. She turned and winked before closing the wooden door, the sounds of well-wishes and laughter fading down the hallway. I rolled over to face my Demon to see him grinning broadly down at me. He lowered his lips to my forehead before tucking my head beneath his chin, allowing me to snuggle closer as he breathed in the scent of my hair.

"Thank you, Dark." I murmured into his warm chest as we savored each other's presence. He just laughed softly and squeezed me a bit.

"I always keep my promises, Jericho."


	61. Chapter 63

_**Wiishu's POV:**_

"That was grooooooss!" Mark groaned, still smiling as he followed us down the hallway with the help of Amy. He didn't have any problems with being helped out by a girl, but I suspected that that had a little something to do with the fact that the girl was Amy.

"Psh, you're just jea- ah!" Felix stopped mid burn to wince and rub his lower back. Sean sniggered.

"Aw, you sore? Poor baby."

"The old man's not as frail as he looks!" Felix shot back petulantly before turning his attention back to his aching bones. "Ugh..."

I shared an amused look with Amy as we made our way to the sitting room. Those boys had no idea what was in store. Felix suddenly veered off down another hallway, making me pause for a second.

"Where is he going?" I whispered confusedly to Sean. Sean shook his head and smirked.

"He's going to see that Elite girl again. Apparently he's somehow seen her face and miraculously got her to tell him her name, but he won't let the rest of us in on it because she won't let him. Traitor," He scoffed in an amused tone, "Putting a pretty girl above the rest of us."

I sidled up to him, looping my arm through his. Amy and Mark were gone, probably off to the med room to lay Mark back down. "I'm sure you can relate, Irish." His ears turned that adorable shade of red as he wiped his face of all expression, trying to play it cool.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Suuuuure," I said before smacking a kiss on his cheek. Or, at least I tried to before he turned his head just in time for his lips to collide with mine.

We froze for a second, held in place by shock and indecision in equal parts. I pulled back finally while holding his gaze, retracting my arm from his and turning to face him as he did the same. Huh. He wasn't blushing anymore. I cocked my head at him, wondering where he would take it from here.

 _'Your move, Irish.'_

 _ **Sean's POV:**_

It was the shock of a lifetime when we fell into that kiss. Her lips were so soft and fit so perfectly against mine. I froze for a sec, too surprised to be nervous. She pulled away and turned to face me, looking up at me and cocking her head as if in a dare.

Well. I was never one to back down from a dare.

I stepped closer to her, holding her gaze as I closed the distance between us so that we were inches apart. I lowered my face to hers and took her hands in mine, stroking over the backs with my thumbs. She looked surprised at my actions, like she hadn't expected me to actually do anything. I didn't know whether or not to be insulted.

"What? Didja think I wasn't gonna take the bait, you incurable little flirt?" I teased, close enough that I knew she could feel my breath on her skin as I spoke. She smirked up at me in response.

"It was a question of when, not if. How long could any man resist this?" Her eyes flicked to my lips in a way that made me think that she wasn't resisting very hard either.

"I'm not looking to break any records," I breathed before pressing my lips to hers. She sighed sweetly into the kiss as we both closed our eyes, losing ourselves to the smooth, natural motion. I was afraid that after so long, I wouldn't remember how, but it didn't take long to figure it out again.

Just like it didn't take long to remember the last person I kissed.

I slowed and stopped, breaking my lips from hers and looking away guiltily. For the slightest moment, I'd let myself forget her, forget Sheila. Could I do that? Did I want to? Oh God, what was I doing? I pulled away, not meeting Signe's questioning eyes as I turned my back on her.

"I... I don't... I can't," I ran a hand through my hair as I began walking away, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even-"

"Who was she?" Wiishu interrupted me softly, halting my steps. I didn't turn, staring at a glowing green flower at my feet.

"What?"

"I said," I heard her approach me from behind until we were nearly as close as we had been moments before, "Who was she? What happened to her?"

My fists clenched and unclenched as my mind answered the question for me. The memory of that night flashed before my eyes as vividly as if I was there, living the bloody nightmare all over again. I closed my eyes against the pain, shaking my head. "...I can't do this, Wiishu. I can't just forget her."

I began walking away once more. "I'm sorry."

I had reached my room when she spoke again. "I'll be here when you change your mind... _Sean."_

I almost turned. I almost went back to her. I almost broke down in tears. I almost forgot again.

 _Almost._

I shut my door

 _ **Mark's POV:**_

I sighed in relief as Amy helped me to lower myself down on a soft bed of grass on the floor of the room she'd given me. I really loved the feeling of everything here, and how beautiful and cozy it was. I felt like I was at home, even though I'd only been there for a couple days. I smiled at Amy as she situated herself across from me, crossing her ankles and pulling her knees to her chest in a cute way as she returned my smile sweetly. I was glad she didn't look like she was going to leave; I'd been looking for a chance to talk to her.

I was about to thank her for helping me out when a sharp, jabbing pain in my skull made me cringe and clutch my head. She was at my side in an instant, her small hands working their way under my own to cradle my head. The biting pain began to wan the second she touched me, and I sighed in relief as it faded away to nothing. I placed my hands on the ground at my sides as I closed my eyes and leaned into her soft hands, running my fingers through the gorgeous green grass. I could have died right there a happy man.

She eventually pulled away. I opened my eyes to see her sitting back on her heels in front of me with a concerned, yet kind expression. "Better?"

I grinned and nodded. I'd gladly go through that every day if it meant that I would be healed by her. "Better. Sorry about that, I've just been feeling a little funny since I passed out. I didn't think meditation would be that grueling!"

She shifted a bit and nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. "It's not. But that wasn't meditation, it was a test. Sorry for not telling you; We knew that if you were aware of it beforehand, the results wouldn't be the same. Sorry," She said again in a guilty tone.

I blinked. That explained it a bit. "Oh, uh... Nah, it's cool. I know you guys mean well, and I'm tougher than I look. But what was that a test for? And why don't I remember any of it?"

She opened her mouth as if to answer when her gaze was snagged by something on the ground beside me. Instead of forming an answer, her mouth simply fell into an 'o' of shock, her eyebrows jumping up on her forehead. I followed her gaze to where my hand was buried in the grass, propping me up. Needless to say, I mirrored her expression.

"What the..."

There was a softly glowing circle of grass around the place that my hand touched the earth that was slightly taller than the surrounding grass, each blade shifting back and forth as if blown by an unseen breeze. We both watched in amazement as tiny bright green stems began rising from between my fingers, growing more round at the tip as they grew and darkened and began to sprout little leaves along their lengths. The growths turned into newborn buds that burst open in a rush of soft azure light to reveal delicate sky-blue petals that shone with the same intensity as the grass beneath them.

Neither of us moved or breathed in the face of the incredible phenomenon. I couldn't take my eyes off the soft glow of the shimmering blooms, utterly mesmerized by the impossibility of what I was seeing.

Suddenly, I felt a light vibration shudder through my right arm and hand before they pulsed, once, twice, three times with an increasing intensity that didn't exactly feel painful. A sourceless gust of warm wind brushed first the flora immediately surrounding my hand before moving outward in a wave, bending each flower and blade of grass in the room as it passed. Immediately following the motion was a sudden eruption of the same blue flowers sprouting in the wake of the mysterious wind, chasing closely after it until the whole room was filled with the magical glow of the shimmering baby blue petals.

I finally lifted my hand from the ground, gawking dumbly at the miracle I had just witnessed. I shakily reached for one of the little flowers with my left hand, hardly believing that they were real. I plucked a delicate stem and lifted it away from the rest to examine it. I flinched back when the moment my skin touched the flower, it burst into bright red flames that left nothing but a sprinkle of black ash in their wake.

I stumbled panting to my feet and ran a hand through my hair. Amy followed me up, laying a calming hand on my shoulder.

" _That,_ " she finally answered.

 _ **Felix's POV:**_

I stood just out of sight outside the door to Marzia's cell, contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea to enter despite my bravado during my previous visit. I wasn't even sure why I said all those dumbass things to her in the first place. She was a _trained. Killer._ An _assassin._ A ruthless _murderer_. Why the hell was I there?

...Fuck if I knew.

"Are you going to come in or keep slinking around the skirt of my cage like a little door mouse?" Came her haughty tone from beyond the door. I sighed, schooling my face into a relaxed, neutral expression before showing myself. I folded my arms and leaned against the doorway casually, kicking one of my ankles up over the other. The three plates of fruit, nuts, and jerky had been nearly cleared, as had all the water jugs. She appeared to be just as at ease as I was, propped against the wall with her hands folded in her lap in a meditative pose. I tried not to be too disappointed at the fact that she was wearing her mask again.

"Hey. Are you feeling better? I heard that you were starving yourself before yesterday," I inquired politely. She cocked her head at me.

"...I'm Fine, thank you. Why should you care, mouse?"

I cracked my neck and rolled my aching shoulders with a soft grunt before answering. "I shouldn't. You did come about a foot from grinding us into mincemeat on that plane after all."

"So why are you here?" She gritted out slowly.

I actually had to think about my answer before finding that I didn't really have one.

"Well? What do you want, boy?" She shot at me through the layer of metal that separated us. I scoffed inwardly, annoyance and anger suddenly rearing their ugly heads through my uncertainty. What was _with_ that tough girl act she had going on? Jesus, lighten up!

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was dropping by in the hope of seeing your lovely face, _principessa?"_

"Not a cha- what did you just call me?" She interrupted herself to ask slowly.

"Hm?" I raised my eyebrows and cocked my head as if I hadn't heard her.

She let out a growl that echoed within her guise. "I said, _what did you just call me?_ " She gritted out. I could tell she was clenching her teeth. My heart was pounding. Even as I smirked outwardly, I was cursing my own existence in my head. What was I doing? Why was I teasing her like this? This chick could drop me in seconds and I knew it.

But it was too much fun to stop.

"Oh, _principessa?_ Yeah, that's princess in Italian, right? I thought it fit, what with you being so uptight and all." I gave her my most winning shit eating grin. I repressed a shudder at her expression and held strong. Oh, she was _PISSED._ She lifted an armored leg and slammed it down on one of the plates, splintering it.

"GRRAAAAAH!"

In a motion that was too quick to see, she grabbed the other two empty clay plates and hurled them at me like frisbees from her position on the floor, aiming straight for my neck and abdomen. She sent the shards from the broken plate hurtling after them, one after the other.

That's when it happened.

Time seemed to slow to a near stop as the danger approached. My body began to tingle with a feeling that was like fear or exhilaration, or both. My blood began roaring through my ears, blocking out all other sound. My vision flashed white, and it was over just as soon as it began.

I was surrounded by clay debris from where the plates had shattered at my feet. In my hands I clutched two large shards that I quickly dropped in confusion. My head whirled as I tried to puzzle together what had just happened. I stumbled back into the wall, clutching my suddenly aching head. I lifted my eyes when Marzia made a strangled gasping noise. She had risen into a crouch on the balls of her feet and was brandishing a plate shard like a knife. Her hand was trembling.

I leaned panting against the wall we observed each other warily. My last thought was to wonder why it had gotten so dark before I hit the floor.


	62. Chapter 64

Jericho's POV:

We laid there for a bit, just enjoying the fact that we were together. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent as he stroked my back soothingly up and down. He moved his cheek to mine, his lips brushing my ear.

"I think we have some catching up to do, don't you?" He purred, his hand drifting lower down my back as he continued the motion. I laughed and leaned back to look up at him incredulously.

"I was out for a single day! You're three thousand years old, that's probably like a minute to you."

He growled and brought his hand down to rest on my hip, digging his fingers in just the slightest bit. "Time that was stolen from us. And I plan to account for every second of that lost day _in full."_

He pulled me against him possessively before smashing his lips into mine and stealing a quick, but deep, sensual kiss; my brain turned to mush from the action and when he let go, I couldn't do much more than give him a wide-eyed blink, my cheeks reddening when he licked his lips while his eyes remained intent on mine. He snapped his fingers, and we were suddenly naked. I raised an eyebrow, pulling back slightly.

"You've GOT to teach me how to do that."

He grinned. "Come here."

He gathered me up once more and rolled over so that I was straddling him before sitting up. He wrapped my legs around him and sat cross legged, holding me up with one hand on my lower back and another on my rear. I sprouted an intense blush when I felt his length beneath me, rubbing lightly against my core. He chuckled lightly, pulling me close.

He moved to my lips and kissed me again, hard and deep, making me moan into his mouth. Our lips met each other urgently, my embarrassment long forgotten as he captured my lips savagely. He let his fingers roam underneath my upper thigh as I dug my fingers into his hair, bringing our faces closer. My body spiked with that familiar brand of lust as I writhed against him, using the leverage I had to grind my hips softly into his with a motion that drove us both insane. He growled and thrust upward in response to my rhythm, laving my throat with kisses when I threw my head back at the delicious friction he made.

He flipped us over again without warning so that he hovered over me. My breath fled my lungs as he began to kiss his way down to my breast, latching on to one pink tip before applying a gentle rhythmic suction that had me groaning. Propping himself up on his elbow, he stroked his other hand downward and slipped his fingers between my legs to rub over that particularly sensitive spot, making me cry out weakly. He let out a cross between a chuckle and a growl as he soaked in my reactions; he brushed my mind with his so I could feel how much he loved having me under his control like this through the link. I struggled to hang on to that last little iota of control that was threatening to wither away from the amount of pleasure building inside of me.

"Oh god, don't stop – "

"Don't intend to," He growled before recapturing my lips.

After a couple minutes of this, my mind was whirling with the dizzying sensations that were washing over me in waves of roiling pleasure. I was so close...!

And it stopped.

He stopped.

My eyes shot open and flew to his in confusion as his hand retreated. He propped himself above me with both arms, grinning cheekily down at me with one raised eyebrow. I opened my mouth to ask him why he stopped, but I couldn't get any sound to come out of my throat. I glared up at him silently as the pleasant pulses and tingles faded from my lower half.

 _'Dark. What are you doing.'_

He didn't answer. I was just about to mentally chew him out when I felt his cold shadows slide up and around my body from all sides. I gasped and cringed at the change in temperature, prevented from crying out by what was probably a jinx if I wasn't mistaken. My arms were wrenched above my head as his essence spiraled around my neck and chest and stomach, weaving smoothly over and between my breasts in a serpentine motion. I writhed beneath him, fighting desperately for even a modicum of control over my own body. The shadows felt different this time. It felt like he was the one caressing me, smoothing over every inch of my skin so thoroughly. It was driving me absolutely _insane._ I gazed up at him imploringly.

 _'Dark,_ _please.'_

His smirk widened as I resorted to begging. He closed the distance between our faces, ghosting his lips over my skin. They brushed over my eyebrows and lashes, down my cheek and past the corner of my mouth. I squirmed when he reached the valley of my breasts, planting kisses and licks over the gap before continuing past them to blaze a trail down my stomach as he crawled down my body.

My breath caught when his lips fluttered over my lower stomach. I pulled against my bonds a bit, trying to scootch away.

 _'That's... wait, th-that's far enough!'_ I thought at him as I squirmed uncomfortably. He didn't even spare me a glance.

 _ **'Hush. Lend me your body just for now, Jericho, to sate my hunger as well as yours.'**_

He acted outwardly as if I hadn't spoken even as he linked with my mind, lowering himself down my body to resume his downward trajectory. I felt a pull on my lower half in the midst of my struggles and looked down my body to see that the shadows that spiraled around my calves were forcing my legs apart, not stopping until they were a little more than shoulder width apart. One errant shadow sidled up to wrap itself lovingly around the top of my thigh, coming uncomfortably close to my center.

He finally came to the juncture of my legs, situating himself comfortably between them as if all of this were perfectly natural, as if he belonged there. I froze, my face reddening as I was hit with the full extent of my exposure. All traces of desire and arousal had fled from my mind and body, replaced with a desire to snap my legs closed and forget this ever happened.

"Shhhh... trust me, darling..." Dark softly chided me in my discomfiture, an amused note ringing in his voice.

His mouth descended between my legs before I could register what was happening, his tongue a wet, sinuous brand that knocked the breath out of me. His thumb danced around my sensitive skin with exactly the right amount of pressure that had me writhing against his ministrations in no time. My back arched, his name forming on my mute lips and tongue as I screamed silently. His tongue swirled before probing deep and slow into my channel with a surprising depth that made me briefly question if I should be worrying about it. He used the same dizzying strokes as when he kissed me, butthese were firmer, faster, triggering wave after wave of ecstasy within me. within minutes, my trepidation was gone in the wake of the passion that consumed us both.

My hips rose, seeking more as his tongue moved even faster within my depths. My fingers dug into his arms as I was rocked with the scorching buildup of pressure in my core. I couldn't stop writhing underneath his mouth, my gasps turned into something feral. My core muscles tightened with every motion, sending earth-shattering bursts of pure sensation screaming through my veins.

Just as the tension snapped in the most incredible explosion of ecstasy, he pulled away and moved himself between my legs, removing the shadows from my lower half and entering me while my core still clenched with the shock of my release. The convulsions made it difficult for him to move as my muscles tightened around the welcome intrusion. I threw my head back in a silent cry as he groaned and began moving within me with slow yet relentless strokes, prolonging the already unbelievable peak and assaulting me with brand new waves of pleasure. I crested yet again, trembling violently and yanking against my dark shackles as one orgasm blended seamlessly into the last.

"I love seeing you like this," Dark said in a tone that would have sounded smug and conversational if it wasn't for the way he was panting for breath just as much as I was. He continued to talk as he drove in and out of my channel.

"Writhing beneath me, under my power..." He gave a particularly well aimed thrust at an upward angle, making my breath catch in my throat, "beautiful."

I somehow couldn't find it in me to care about his self-satisfied tone.

His grasp tightened on my hips before he began to thrust so fast that I was afraid for a moment that he might hurt me. That fear was quickly laid to rest under a flood of splintering rapture that gathered in a climax unlike any I'd ever experienced. My loins convulsed over and over, sending shards of bliss throughout my body until every part of me tingled and vibrated.

Dark's grip turned to steel, his back stiffening as a feral growl left his lips. He then plunged into me one last time so forcefully that I let out a gasp that quickly turned into a moan as I was met with new spasms as a result. He ground against me while his own orgasm spent itself inside me with hot rhythmic pulses that I could feel. After what felt like hours, I finally went limp, spent from the massive amount of energy that the final release took.

I barely registered when Dark gathered me up against him and rolled us over, pulling me against him. I felt a blanket fall over us both before I succumbed to sleep.


	63. Chapter 65

_**Mark's POV:**_

I barely even felt her hand on my shoulder, barely heard her voice. My body was numb and it was hard to hear anything past the blood that was roaring through my ears. I licked my dry lips and swallowed, taking deep gasping breaths as I tried not to freak out.

"What was that? Was that... was that _me?"_ I whispered, feeling faint. Amy nodded, bending a bit to catch my lowered gaze.

"Yes. You are more extraordinary than you know, Mark. You've been gifted with a very rare brand of power that isn't often seen in humans. It's called Evoking, and I've never seen it done before. It's... beautiful."

I searched her deep, earthy eyes for reassurance in my confusion. She looked so sincere and caring. Maybe if she thought that whatever that was had been beautiful, then it was something worth having, even if I didn't know what it was yet. I smiled back at her.

"Thanks."

The moment was disrupted when the earth began quaking violently beneath us.

 _ **Felix's POV:**_

I groaned as I came to, clutching my pounding head. I sat up slowly as I squinted at my surroundings. Ah, that's right; The cell. Marzia.

My eyes rose to the masked woman in question as I propped myself up against the wall. Her face was slightly downcast and I could feel her hidden eyes on me. She spoke before I could.

"That was impressive, boy. You have potential."

I didn't bother to scowl at her; with the bratty things I said, I felt every inch the boy she told me I was. "What happened, Marzia?" I asked, adding her name just for the joy of saying it. She cocked her head at me.

"You don't know? Have you never raged before?" she asked, sounding intriugued. I shook my head.

"Raged? What's that?"

She was silent for a bit, just watching me. Finally, she turned her head away in a clear dismissal.

"If you don't know your own gifts, then it is not my place to tell you. Leave me now and ask that traitor of a Knight you call a friend what secrets he's been keeping from you."

I figured I probably wasn't going to do myself any favors if I stayed there, so I stood, brushing off the dirt that had accumulated on my clothes during my tumble. I walked to the door, pausing as I exited.

"Goodbye, Marzia."

I was almost out the door when I was thrown back as the earth jerked my feet out from under me. I let out a short cry before rolling to my hands and knees. An earthquake?! My eyes shot to Marzia as I stumbled to my feet. Shit! If it got to where the ceiling caved in, she'd be helpless! I couldn't leave her there!

I flew across the room and grabbed onto the vine that shackled her to the wall, yanking desperately on it's roots.

"What are you doing? You have no other option but to run, boy! What if I killed you and escaped? what if the ceiling fell, you idiot?" She barked at me. I glanced at her as I continued to pull with all my strength.

"I'll take the 'what ifs' over your certain death, Marzia. You'll just have to hold off killing me for now." There was a flash of light that crackled within the vine before it snapped away from the wall, making me lose my footing. I would have fallen back to the floor but for Marzia's forearm clasping firmly onto mine, pulling me back to my feet. The part of the vine on her arm shriveled and died, its husk floating to the seizing floor.

"Fine. Let's go."

We fled the room together.

 _ **Mikhail's POV:**_

I stood from the table, rolling up the map and

"So then it's settled. We'll head to-" My words were suddenly cut short by a concussive boom followed by an earthquake of seismic proportions. Signe and I just barely managed to keep our footing as the floor jerked beneath us. I cursed loudly.

"Signe, find Sean, I'll get Felix and the Elite. Dark and Amy have the other two."

She nodded and disappeared. I ran towards the holding room, lifting my feet quickly so that I kept as little contact with the unstable earth as possible for greater balance. I'd never wished more for teleportation abilities like signe's before that moment.

 _ **Jericho's POV:**_

I loved waking up like this.

"So do I," Murmured Dark by way of announcing that he'd woken up with me. I yawned and smiled up at him sleepily.

"I missed you. I didn't know it, but I did," I said softly, my chest clenching as I remembered the events leading up to that moment. I felt many things; relief at my return, hatred for Fell, fear that he would interfere again... but the emotion that most pervaded at the moment was an all-consuming affection for the Demon holding me. I would even call it...

"I love you, Dark," I stated, never more sure of anything in my twenty years.

"And I you," He responded, bending his neck to kiss my forehead.

Not a moment after his lips touched mine, the entire world around us began to shake. I jerked back in surprise as Dark quickly snapped his fingers, dressing us both as he lept to his feet and pulled me with him. He wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Hang on."

It was cold and dark for a moment before I found myself back in the bright sunlight of the desert, immediately missing the temperate climate of the grotto. Signe appeared beside us clutching Sean, followed shortly by Amy and Mark. We all struggled to keep our footing on the shaking earth as we appeared.

"Have Mikhail and Felix come out yet?" Wiishu yelled over the deafening scream of the earth's tortured crust. No sooner had she spoken than Felix and Mikhail run out of the hole in the mountainside that served as the grotto's entrance followed by the Elite, just seconds before it crumbled behind them. They sprinted over to us, turning to watch in dismay as a portion of the base of the mountain that was over the grotto collapsed, burying it forever. Amy fell to her knees, followed by Mark who pulled her to him in a comforting embrace.

The earthquake stopped shortly after, leaving the desert valley silent but for the sound of Amy's quiet crying.

The next sound we heard was clapping.

GUYS. I just realized that I never said what happened to chica! completely forgot. Should I put her back in the story? just know that I won't bother to explain, I'll jjust kind of put her there, because there is noooo wayyy I'm going back 30 chapters to write her in, as much as I love her. Let me know what you think!


	64. Chapter 66

_**Mark's POV:**_

I barely even felt her hand on my shoulder, barely heard her voice. My body was numb and it was hard to hear anything past the blood that was roaring through my ears. I licked my dry lips and swallowed, taking deep gasping breaths as I tried not to freak out.

"What was that? Was that... was that _me?"_ I whispered, feeling faint. Amy nodded, bending a bit to catch my lowered gaze.

"Yes. You are more extraordinary than you know, Mark. You've been gifted with a very rare brand of power that isn't often seen in humans. It's called Evoking, and I've never seen it done before. It's... beautiful."

I searched her deep, earthy eyes for reassurance in my confusion. She looked so sincere and caring. Maybe if she thought that whatever that was had been beautiful, then it was something worth having, even if I didn't know what it was yet. I smiled back at her.

"Thanks."

The moment was disrupted when the earth began quaking violently beneath us.

 _ **Felix's POV:**_

I groaned as I came to, clutching my pounding head. I sat up slowly as I squinted at my surroundings. Ah, that's right; The cell. Marzia.

My eyes rose to the masked woman in question as I propped myself up against the wall. Her face was slightly downcast and I could feel her hidden eyes on me. She spoke before I could.

"That was impressive, boy. You have potential."

I didn't bother to scowl at her; with the bratty things I said, I felt every inch the boy she told me I was. "What happened, Marzia?" I asked, adding her name just for the joy of saying it. She cocked her head at me.

"You don't know? Have you never raged before?" she asked, sounding intriugued. I shook my head.

"Raged? What's that?"

She was silent for a bit, just watching me. Finally, she turned her head away in a clear dismissal.

"If you don't know your own gifts, then it is not my place to tell you. Leave me now and ask that traitor of a Knight you call a friend what secrets he's been keeping from you."

I figured I probably wasn't going to do myself any favors if I stayed there, so I stood, brushing off the dirt that had accumulated on my clothes during my tumble. I walked to the door, pausing as I exited.

"Goodbye, Marzia."

I was almost out the door when I was thrown back as the earth jerked my feet out from under me. I let out a short cry before rolling to my hands and knees. An earthquake?! My eyes shot to Marzia as I stumbled to my feet. Shit! If it got to where the ceiling caved in, she'd be helpless! I couldn't leave her there!

I flew across the room and grabbed onto the vine that shackled her to the wall, yanking desperately on it's roots.

"What are you doing? You have no other option but to run, boy! What if I killed you and escaped? what if the ceiling fell, you idiot?" She barked at me. I glanced at her as I continued to pull with all my strength.

"I'll take the 'what ifs' over your certain death, Marzia. You'll just have to hold off killing me for now." There was a flash of light that crackled within the vine before it snapped away from the wall, making me lose my footing. I would have fallen back to the floor but for Marzia's forearm clasping firmly onto mine, pulling me back to my feet. The part of the vine on her arm shriveled and died, its husk floating to the seizing floor.

"Fine. Let's go."

We fled the room together.

 _ **Mikhail's POV:**_

I stood from the table, rolling up the map and

"So then it's settled. We'll head to-" My words were suddenly cut short by a concussive boom followed by an earthquake of seismic proportions. Signe and I just barely managed to keep our footing as the floor jerked beneath us. I cursed loudly.

"Signe, find Sean, I'll get Felix and the Elite. Dark and Amy have the other two."

She nodded and disappeared. I ran towards the holding room, lifting my feet quickly so that I kept as little contact with the unstable earth as possible for greater balance. I'd never wished more for teleportation abilities like signe's before that moment.

 _ **Jericho's POV:**_

I loved waking up like this.

"So do I," Murmured Dark by way of announcing that he'd woken up with me. I yawned and smiled up at him sleepily.

"I missed you. I didn't know it, but I did," I said softly, my chest clenching as I remembered the events leading up to that moment. I felt many things; relief at my return, hatred for Fell, fear that he would interfere again... but the emotion that most pervaded at the moment was an all-consuming affection for the Demon holding me. I would even call it...

"I love you, Dark," I stated, never more sure of anything in my twenty years.

"And I you," He responded, bending his neck to kiss my forehead.

Not a moment after his lips touched mine, the entire world around us began to shake. I jerked back in surprise as Dark quickly snapped his fingers, dressing us both as he lept to his feet and pulled me with him. He wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"Hang on."

It was cold and dark for a moment before I found myself back in the bright sunlight of the desert, immediately missing the temperate climate of the grotto. Signe appeared beside us clutching Sean, followed shortly by Amy and Mark. We all struggled to keep our footing on the shaking earth as we appeared.

"Have Mikhail and Felix come out yet?" Wiishu yelled over the deafening scream of the earth's tortured crust. No sooner had she spoken than Felix and Mikhail run out of the hole in the mountainside that served as the grotto's entrance followed by the Elite, just seconds before it crumbled behind them. They sprinted over to us, turning to watch in dismay as a portion of the base of the mountain that was over the grotto collapsed, burying it forever. Amy fell to her knees, followed by Mark who pulled her to him in a comforting embrace.

The earthquake stopped shortly after, leaving the desert valley silent but for the sound of Amy's quiet crying.

The next sound we heard was clapping.

GUYS. I just realized that I never said what happened to chica! completely forgot. Should I put her back in the story? just know that I won't bother to explain, I'll jjust kind of put her there, because there is noooo wayyy I'm going back 30 chapters to write her in, as much as I love her. Let me know what you think!


	65. Chapter 67

A slow clapping broke through the dry desert air. We turned from the wreckage to see Fell himself sauntering towards us, his form wavering like a mirage in the heat no more than twenty meters away. He chuckled as he took in the wreckage behind us.

"Well... wasn't that fun? Sorry about your home my dear. My comrade has a bit of a flare for the dramatic." Anti appeared at his side as he spoke, crossing his arms and raising his chin smugly. Amy let out a wild cry of rage and tried to leap towards him, but Mark and Wiishu held her back. The ground around them cracked and the sparse greenery of the desert began to shake. Fell simply smirked and turned his golden eyes to me.

"Ah, long time no see, Jericho... did you enjoy my little present?"

I growled, taking the armor gem out of my pocket and throwing it in the air like Wiishu had. I drew my sword when I was girded, my companions following suit. "You're going to pay for the time you stole, you bastard. And the price is your blood!" I felt approval from Dark at my threat.

Fell threw his head back and laughed loud and long, the abrasive sound grating on my nerves and making me tense up. "You've gotten bold, haven't you? Such a far cry from the pathetic wench you stumbled upon a month ago, eh Dark? She's grown into such a catch!"

he cocked his head and grinned wickedly straight at me, his eyes holding a malevolent gleam. "Just as precious as I remember," he hissed quietly, so softly that I could barely hear, "she never changes."

Dark summoned his sword and speaks before I had a chance to demand just what the hell he meant by that little comment. Dark didn't push me behind him like I half expected him to, but steps up beside me to take his battle stance. My heart swelled with pride as I realized that he saw me not as a fragile little porcelain doll that needed his protection, but as an equal.

Dark let loose an animalistic snarl at the golden Demon. His fighting spirit was infectious, and I found a savage grin forming on my own face as we held ourselves at the ready. "You have more important things to pay attention to right now, Fell 'iikh," Dark growled, "Like staying alive."

Fell holds up his hands in mock surrender, looking endlessly amused. "Oh, I'm not here to fight. But they are," he smirked as He pointed off to the side of us.

That's when our situation got so much worse.

 _ **IMPORTANT!**_

(A/N) heeeey so I haven't heard any response to the chica question... I mean I could just leave her out, but I have some ideas.

Also, I was thinking about having a Q/A work to go along side this one, where you can ask the characters whatever you want. A lot of people have been inquiring about the storyline, so I figured why not? Let me know what you think.

Also, message me if you have any ideas on where the story should go! I've already got a vague idea, but lemme know what you wanna see!


	66. Chapter 68

( _Chica insert! No explanation. sorry. she's just there now, so deal with it.)_

"Oh, I'm not here to fight... but they are."

He smirked and gestured to our right before disappearing along with Anti. There, seemingly out of thin air, appeared fifteen of the same fighters we'd seen on the plane; The Elite. They surrounded us quickly, spreading out in an even circle with a wide berth as we did the same, facing outwards. There were collective curses and groans and a menacing growl from Chica as all of us took in our situation. All except for the Elite girl that was in our custody.

"Brothers! Sisters!" She cried, running to the outer circle her comrades had formed. None of us tried to stop her, though Felix let out a strangled sound of protest before he could stop himself. I scowled, peeved at the thought that even though we'd shown her mercy, she was still going to fight us.

At least, that's what I thought was going to happen.

There was a flash of black and silver in front of her before she stumbled back with a cry, clutching her stomach to try and stem the sudden profuse blood flow. It dripped down her torso and through her hands as she coughed and fell to her knees, evaporating into dry brown stains the second it hit the desert floor. There was a shocked silence before-

 _"MARZIA!"_ Felix screamed, running for the injured Elite. Mikhail lept forward and caught the boy in a head lock, wrestling him back. Felix grunted and struggled desperately the whole way.

There was a woman standing over 'Marzia' In the wake of her injury, looking down on her with a dead panned expression.

 _(This is Meesha when she was younger. just imagine she's about Mikhail's age, M'kay?)_

"You broke the rules, Agent," Came her cool, dispassionate voice.

"C-Councilwoman... why...?" Marzia asked weakly, trying to keep her voice steady. The woman knelt next to her, looking straight into her mask.

"You know that the Elite are never to be taken as prisoners. What have we taught you your entire life, child? If you are captured, you are compromised. Death is the only solution to the liability you become when you are under the enemy's power. That was your responsibility," She said, standing, "And you failed, instead choosing life over the safety of your fellow Elite and the security of your mission."

"Meesha... can you really question why I left? How can you live with yourself, treating your own comrades this way?" Wiishu shook her head sadly, "Don't be this way. Please."

The woman in black that she had called Meesha gazed back at Wiishu with a stone cold expression that told us she was unphased by the Witch's plea. She instead raised her sword, preparing to strike down at the helpless Marzia, who hung her head, not even attempting to save herself. No one moved. Were we really just going to sit here and do nothing? She was technically the enemy, yes, but no one deserved to die just because they wanted to live. Dark put a hand on my shoulder, shaking his head.

The sword began to descend. I closed my eyes.

 _ **"GRAAAAAAA!"**_

My eyes snapped back open at the vicious inhuman roar. Felix had broken free from Mikhail's hold and was wielding the old Knight's daggers, one held in his hand, and the other in his teeth as he stood before an astounded Meesha.

 _Felix was holding her blade with his bare hand, just an inch from Marzia's neck._

(The daggers)

Meesha crouched and jumped back about five yards, wrenching the sword from his grasp. I decided to act finally, running over and dragging Marzia back towards the rest of us.

"Felix. Felix, listen to me. You must remain calm. Don't do anything rash," Mikhail said tersely, watching the swede warily. Felix was bent in a strange fighting stance that made him look as if he was a cornered animal ready to lash out at any moment. His form was shivering violently as he breathed loudly, long and deep. The Elites near him backed up slightly, as if unsure what to do.

"He can't hear you, Mikhail," said Dark, "He's about to rage, there's nothing we can do."

Before I could ask about that, the entire scene exploded into motion.

Felix charged straight forward to clash with the Elites in his immediate vicinity as Meesha lept out of the way. I stared in amazement as he took on five of the fifteen, countering every strike, blow for blow. He would either shirk the flat of weapon or the arms and wrists that held them with one of his own limbs, or block them blade to blade while still having enough time to strike back at them with devastatingly well-placed slashes. His movements were unorthodox, unpredictable, and reckless with no perceivable pattern, yet he was in complete control. It was both horrible and beautiful to watch as he achieved his first kill in a matter of seconds, slitting the warrior's throat and moving on.

When the first man fell, the others charged us and the battle began. Amy nabbed my Caduceus and tossed it to Mark as Chica stood by his side, snarling viciously.

Here we go.


	67. Chapter 69

_**Mark's POV:**_

I didn't have much time to be horrified at Felix's vicious actions before the rest of the Elite rushed us. Shit! I didn't have a weapon, the fuck was I supposed to do!?

"Mark!" Shouted Amy. She tossed me the Caduceus and whirled around so that she was back to back with me. Chica was snarling like I'd never heard her before. Good girl!

The first one was on me in seconds, and I raised the caduceus out of reflex. I blocked them bodily, but one of the Elite's knives still got past me to lodge itself a couple inches into my shoulder. A white hot pain hit me a split second later, drawing a raw cry from my throat. I saw my opponent lift his other knife through a red haze of pain. I wasn't going to be able to block it, and I knew it. Dammit, why did I have to be the first one to go down?

Suddenly, I heard a deep bark as Chica tackled the man's legs, knocking him off balance and causing him to stumble back. She latched onto his arm and yanked her head back and forth, biting down for all she was worth.

 _'Did I just hear a crack? Jesus christ, Chica!'_

Time slowed to a stop as the man raised the knife in his other hand, preparing to bring it down on my baby's neck. I flung my hand into the air without thinking, almost as reflexively as I had blocked that first strike with the Caduceus. A bright stream of fire engulfed my hand and shot towards the Elite, exploding into his chest with an impact that sent him flying about twenty yards away. He landed with a thud and a cloud of sand, not moving. I stared in amazement as the fire burning on my hands began to crawl up my arms to my elbows. What the...

"Look out!" I heard Amy yell. My head shot up just in time to see a female elite get knocked out of the air before me by a pillar of solid rock that shot out of the ground.

"Get your head in the game!" She shouted as she continued to mold the earth to her will, using the entire planet as her weapon. I clenched my blazing fists, making them flare hotter. I turned to face my next opponent with a savage anticipation that surprised me. I felt powerful, invincible, like I could do anything! I didn't know what this was...

But I liked it.

 _ **Felix's POV:**_

KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM

My mind was a haze of rage, my thoughts an incomprehensible jumble of murderous intent. I saw everything through what I can only describe as a red, misty veil that made everything seem as if it was moving in slow motion, like it was underwater. Every one of my senses was tipped into overdrive, so much so that I could sense things behind me and out of my line of sight as if I was seeing them with my eyes.

Even if I had been capable of forming coherent words, I couldn't have told you at the time how strange it felt to be in that feral state of mind. Mostly because it didn't feel strange at all; It felt amazing. I let go, losing myself in the delicate and dangerous dance of battle like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I finally met flesh with steel, ripping through my enemy's throat like it was butter. Errant droplets of blood fell on my face, assaulting my nostrils with the sweet, cloying scent.

Again.

I had to feel that again!

KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM

 _ **Mikhail's POV:**_

I was hit with a ridiculous feeling of nostalgia as Meesha and I blocked and struck out at each other relentlessly, holding nothing back. I used to think her beautiful when she was locked in battle; she always looked more like a dancer than a warrior, executing each maneuver to perfection before transitioning fluidly into the next with a flawless grace. It was a spectacle indeed.

Shame that I had to bear the brunt of it.

I feinted a slash at her legs before changing course, whirling around and sending my sword towards her head. She didn't miss a beat, meeting my blade with her own and locking them together by using her hilt as leverage against my own. her leg swept out from beneath her in an attempt to knock me off balance. I simply lept upwards, taking it a step further and pushing off into a back spin while stretching my foot out farther than necessary so that she had to bend backwards as well to avoid it. I came out of my maneuver to see her flipping out of a lithe back bend, landing flawlessly as always.

"You're just as graceful as I remember, _Dancer,"_ I called over the sounds of the surrounding battle as we circled one another. She simply scoffed.

"And your style is still just as unrefined as ever, Mikhail. After all these years, you're still doing just the bare minimum in a fight. Really, when will you learn proper technique?"

"I'm wounded," I said dryly.

"Let's see if we can do the same for your body!" She yelled as she charged me once more. She struck with deadly accuracy, thrusting her sword into my stomach before I could react. She withdrew her blade and stared down at me dispassionately as I crumpled to the ground.

"Good bye, Reaper. May the Gods we don't believe in have mercy on both our souls," She said as she turned away to rejoin the battle, satisfied with her victory.

Meesha gagged as she jerked to a stop, a trickle of blood finding it's way to her lips as she gave a single involuntary cough. Her sword clattered to the ground as her arms fell limply by her sides. She shakily lifted her head from the blade protruding from her stomach to meet my cold gaze. I saw the spark of realization within her eyes as she realized what I had done. I leaned down to whisper in her ear:

"I may not be the most graceful fighter, it's true. But When it comes to third eye illusions, I wear the crown."

Meesha gagged again, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

"You'll pay... for this... R-Reaper..." She hissed shakily, unknowingly quoting Dark's words to me from all those years ago. I yanked my sword back and let her fall to the desert sand. I turned my back on her just as she had turned her back on me.

"You won't be around to see it done, Dancer."


	68. Chapter 70

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="63a4487f232e6433a15212900bb28700"My eyes were torn away from Felix as the scene burst into frenzied motion. Dark and I flared our auras in an explosion of black, silver, white and blue, our minds automatically linking together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I felt myself drawing from his extensive experience in battle as I drew my own power up from within me, taking his three thousand years of blood and sweat for my own. I felt the savage joy of battle and the lust for blood that he did, while he felt my determination and fierce need to protect the ones that I love. We were no longer two separate entities, but one unit that shared a body, mind and soul between two vessels./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="20b8607663fccd66dbee4145d9c500d6"We were one./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="89eb3123584c326715352c5124f7d70a"Four enemies rushed us all at once. A little less than a month ago, I would have cowered and run, but now I was ready. I thrust my Caduceus into the ground before me and threw out a hand, forming a picture in my mind and reaching within me for the words I needed to make it a reality./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5404a0d199907dcc5ea6454eaa6ec055"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span lang="hi-IN"حرق الضوء/span!"/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a5ec3f1e0ea08e4df778564c1a3e07c5"There was a blinding flash of light from both my hand and the caduceus that struck the enemy closest to me. It struck him like lightening, engulfing his body in blue static crackles that made him seize up before collapsing to the ground. /p  
p class="fixed-ratio" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; position: relative; height: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 400.781px; text-align: center; color: #555555;" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" data-p-id="2147c15a1dd225973becf679a0bc2476" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="26478db11a74b3c8675f463fee30cba7" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="11d591659001b5ef9b709f09de454180"I felt the arm holding the Caduceus move on its own as the next Elite advance a split second later, spinning itself in front of me to knock aside the knives extended towards my neck. I sent Dark a silent thanks that he returned smugly. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e6e962ee3cfe63c3cd283a6454b7f1df"I ducked and then jumped to avoid the Elite's legs as he launched himself into a graceful roundhouse kick before using the momentum he gained to continue his spin, swiping his foot out quickly beneath me. I gripped my weapon with both hands, knocking aside his slashes and jabs with graceful spinning motions and economic movements that should have been impossible for a person of my skill level. It was as instinctive and natural as it was alien; I felt as if I was becoming another person that was more like me than I had ever been./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="90ff754e8c2f02c9dc5b1176182a7539"Suddenly, the feeling went much, much deeper. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="789f49bfe171864429ebd4209f7b6725"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I was standing over the broken body of my other half in the middle of a scorched stretch of a once green and grassy plain defiled by the recent burst of dark magic that ended the man's life. The residual flames ate through the remaining flora like acid as thick black smoke poisoned the open night air, smothering the stars and searing my eyes and nose and lungs. I felt dizzy from the unbearable heat and lack of oxygen as my breath was stolen, burned away even as I breathed it in./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative; color: #555555;" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" data-p-id="02d08d416e9cea1502030e04c3b5ecb7" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="482706e8ccef6beac66bacbf2eeaa935"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I lifted my head to the smoky sky and let out a hoarse scream of abject rage and grief that split the night like a scythe, slicing through the deafening roar of the inferno that devoured the plain. When I finally lowered my head, letting it hang limply from my neck as I closed my tear filled eyes against the horrific sight. The salty droplets evaporated in the scorching heat before they even hit the ground. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ffd3be03e8857a6028d58c230b90f629"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"Anjali damāqu...miilku ţēmu puzra ahāzu? lamādu šuklulu, lasāmu anu!"/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3f0755dbfa36236bb5ac5ea7c96466e7"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I looked up to see a tall humanoid form approaching me steadily, silhouetted by the flames at his back so that the only features I could see were his slitted eyes, gleaming from withing with a sick golden glow that was somehow brighter than the fire he walked through. I didn't need to see him to know who he was, though; hearing his soft hissing tone in that foreign yet familiar language was enough. I stepped in front of my lover's body as the man neared. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="22cc2047d43165100d461e938820141d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;""Galātu. Ammatu, Anjali? lā, maşi. ula ahulap ikkibu. šuklulii šīmtu, ahulap bāšītu."/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="66163442fca336110b4122c9c344ccb0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"He stopped a mere pace from me, a white crescent shaped gash appearing on his face as he grinned wickedly, reaching out to cradle my cheek. I stood frozen, shaking with anger, grief, and fear as his ice cold skin made contact with mine, the difference in temperatures between us so extreme that it burned. I opened my trembling lips./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="410e068e4e2579ce524048129924b4b4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;""mušhuššu ēdiššu.../span"/em em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I whispered, my voice unsteady as brushed away my tears. He just chuckled./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="39f4f48b2c81802315014744a53647c1"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"šuklulu mimma, /span/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"damāqu. niĝkukuda niĝul abunnatu mimma eşēpu./span/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;" redû,br style="box-sizing: border-box;" / Anjali."/span/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"He took my hand and began to turn, as if expecting me to follow him as he asked with out complaint. I wrenched away from him, slapping his hand away. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9d3a1446c750cd1bfb13cc13e9ad9ad4"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"al! Duppuru al!/span" I screamed. My fists clenched so tightly that I felt my nails dig into my palms, drawing blood. I shoved my grief deep inside me as I reached for my power, flaring my aura and feeling the familiar fire streaming through my veins. The storm of bright blue energy blew away the fire and smoke, clearing the earth and sky for miles around. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8f99692c493d18a4d922b54a678de584"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"The Demon that I most despised and feared turned towards me slowly, his face as stone cold as his skin as he took me in. He stepped back a bit, cocking his head. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7564bda5a19aabe36e58abe301ecf687"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"M/span/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"i/span/emem style="box-sizing: border-box;"nû? Mimmusu /emlasāmu anu. style="box-sizing: border-box;""/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cf458ab953ae44b848b71df2f24e358a"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I didn't respond, simply raising my arms and concentrated every last iota of my power into my hands, throwing my broken heart and soul fully into my attack. I wouldn't give in, I would NEVER give in. /em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2d8b0f877f4a08d20f309ad9efd86619"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Anshar 'iikh would PAY for what he'd done to my love! they ALL would!/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="96ffa44a6145e718ff26ab3944bc3f5c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;""Mâtu!"/span/span/em /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfe201de5943405c840233fec4378a45" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b7d02b64f9e47354bf0b62bf4c2cd954" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="714e797025a55e6b0e4a0fb86b5af67a" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="64743c7d8e7da958f30ccdb8244e7259"Here's the translation to that conversation. It's in Sumerian, the oldest known language that we have a phonetic knowledge of. There was Sanscrit before that, but fuck that complicated mess. The order of words on sumerian is a bit like those in spanish, except without all the complicated mess of prepositions and pronouns. It's a much simpler language. anyway, here you go:/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8df6fbcc43d31d99e5112eb009ed8a2d" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0ffb867a4d5d0b73f236d9a6c78f37e7"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;""Anjali damāqu /span/emsweet Anjali...em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" miilku ţēmu puzra ahāzu?/span/em Thought you to take refuge/to hide?em style="box-sizing: border-box;" lamādu šuklulu, lasāmu anu!" /emLearn will you, There exists none!/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="55b34818c359e450342f864735e3ab30"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;""Galātu./span/em You tremble. span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Ammatu, Anjali?/em/span why is it this way, Anjali? span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"lā, maşi./em/span No, enough. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"ula ahulap/span/em em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"ikkibu/span/em. Weep not over a forbidden thing. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"šuklulii šīmtu, ahulap bāšītu./span/em Your destiny am I, weep over me./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="15cae2c55db521df3aa2e885a2f689a0" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;""Mušhuššu ēdiššu..." /span/emA monster you are.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="51536ac52fb064d278a7c35b2246704e"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""šuklulu mimma, damāqu./em/span Mine you are, beautiful style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" niĝkukuda niĝul abunnatu mimma eşēpu./span/em A sweetness everlasting will our joining be, my companion/mate. span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"redû,/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Anjali./span/em Follow, Anjali./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb5732bde0ecd9f694c463d0ce4d23b1"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" "Al! Duppuru al!"/em/span no! stay back/retreat! no! /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a8c993d5dc3dca2e1442cdb98d2cf753"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;""Minû? /span/emWhy? em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Mimmusu lasāmu anu./span/em to do this is useless. span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Redu./em/span Submit /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="920826060f27ce5ed12005d1b489a37b"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;""Mâtu!"/span/em Die!/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f38f085c1b938f2edbdd66de2f73e709" /p 


	69. Chapter 71

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2028c97f99ccc0b2873d4c27edbce52d"I came out of the vision in the same stance that I had left it in, arms extended in attack, face frozen in an awful grimace of rage. I came back to myself after a few moments and slowly straightened to observed my surroundings, dazed by the sudden change in location. The battle was over, a cloud of residual dust hovering over the scene. There were pillars of earth and large, wickedly sharp stones scattered across the area that hadn't been there before. One errant shard of rock had impaled itself into the abdomen of one of the Elite, nailing him to the floor. I looked from body to body, nearly gagging at the horrific scene./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9e4b2c88ab784277de1677d3dc4bf741"There was one body that was scorched beyond recognition, as if they'd been thrown into a live volcano. Any metallic components of their armor had melted into a viscous liquid, dripping off of their blackened bones between the sparse scraps of seared meat that somehow still clung to their skeleton. Their skull was gilded evenly with the remnants of their ruined mask, making it shine like a macabre piece of modern art. The silver and black mess that had once been their face was frozen in a horrible scream of pain, their jaw stretched open so far that it looked almost broken./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d62c3aedf4c50c1c17e3656dfc121dd8"There were five dead Elites surrounding a panting Felix as he stood hunched over, covered in blood and sporting a number of wounds himself. At least, there were five as far as I could tell. It was difficult to differentiate between the mangled corpses that were missing limbs and heads as they laid still on the desert floor. There was so much blood that not all of it had a chance to evaporate, even in this were five torsos. I counted three heads./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e76af67e4a078be7b708bfe0f49e04e7"I was shocked and horrified to see that one of the dead had apparently killed himself, still gripping the knives that were lodged deeply in his neck. There was another cadaver beside him with a silver arrow protruding from the eye hole of her mask./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="23d504b116579d1d39d0930868f6a173"Directly in my line of sight were two more of the Elite, one about twenty feet away and another just ten. I felt bile rise in my throat. One of them was missing a large portion of their torso: half of their chest and abdomen, and their entire shoulder and arm. The other was rent completely in two, their body blasted apart at the waist into two pieces that lay five feet apart, their charred intestines trailing behind them./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d1525069d6f10e4f11c1f03d4d46ba39"I turned around to see that of the two Dark had been fighting, one was missing without a trace. The other was lying on the ground in what at first glance seemed like a normal spread eagled position. If you looked closer, you could see that this wasn't the case at all. The head was facing skyward and tilted at an almost ninety degree angle on its neck. The torso faced downwards while the legs were each twisted in a one-eighty from their original angle./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fc71375b5d2cc8e99fa67725b1415401"The last one was completely normal, to my relief. The limbs had even been arranged to lay straight by his side so he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully instead of lying dead in the dirt. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3664f6952fb03a0e93574c1ac4aed4fb"I swayed on my feet, breaking into a cold sweat despite the hellish temperature as I swallowed dryly. The world spun wildly around me, the blood and dirt and unbearable brightness of the Israeli sun blending into an indiscernible nauseating blur as tunnel vision began to set in./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b8292677eaaaa15ba749033c5f1915e4"I had just begun plummeting to the ground when I felt a strong pair of arms catch me and lift me up bridal style. I didn't think of anything else after that./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="26478db11a74b3c8675f463fee30cba7" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ff362d0866b7fbc1a980a238bfe31a94"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Dark's POV:/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2e4e74b36179512f148123f1a00df391"I tossed my broken toy to the ground with a metallic clatter, baring my teeth in a savage grin as I watched the body flop limply. The other one had made a terrific meal, if not a tad too quick. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c08e09cf047297758fed7d2b6fe629e2"I would never tire of battle. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1111aa2c134053cd220bfd3363aad224"I was so caught up in the afterglow of the kill that I almost didn't notice Jericho beginning to collapse behind me. She moaned in discomfort as she swayed unsteadily on her feet, her weapon laying forgotten on the ground by her feet. Cursing myself for not paying better attention, I turned quickly to catch her as she fell, pulling her up to rest against my chest. I worriedly took inventory of both her body and mind as she hung in a dead faint from my arms, searching for any injury. To my everlasting relief, I found nothing but a faint twinge of fear and disgust at both the battle and its aftermath. I couldn't help the slight upward twitch of my lips at that. She was so sensitive and soft hearted, not the type of creature I would have ever expected to love./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="46b674686517f5b205bfdd763f370b71"My smile faded when I noticed a disturbing change in her psyche. It was almost like I was holding two different people, one Jericho and the other older, more wizened and tried. What in the nine circles of hades.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d7333aa14431fc0a3fd04cb7c6cb2f1d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""SEAN!/em Sean, stay with me, dammit! Don't you fucking croak on me now, Irish!" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42c92fb1b338f012644094300aea54cf"My head jerked upward at Signe's scream as I finally took in the rest of the scene. Felix was kneeling on the ground next to the injured Marzia, applying pressure to the wound in her abdomen. I was surprised that he was still standing with the amount of injuries he'd sustained. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="816860e2e269af6f265256a4c0e31fd6"Mark was being tended to by Amy, who had her hands to his temples. His eyes were glowing a deep red, and he looked to be in pain. The dog was laying her head on his leg. If I were a lesser being, I would think her actions cute./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="62b83d1933ac702222562e75acd10221"I cringed at the sight that met my eyes when I turned towards Signe's voice. Sean was sprawled on the ground, Mikhail and Signe kneeling beside him. Signe was trying to stem the bleeding from a nasty wound on the boy's shoulder that was at least three to four inches deep, severing the muscles there. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b1e981e285358483646d201d707ed071"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: underline;"(A/N: three to four inches might not SOUND like much, but a wound of that depth can be devastating, trust me. People have bled out with less.)/span/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d98ce3888d020619404867d8bae5e758"Mikhail was holding his hands over yet another deadly slash, this one located on Sean's chest. The boy's head was thrashing in his fevered sleep, his eyelids fluttering as he bled out on the ground. I cursed bitterly for the second time in as many minutes, dashing to their side while cradling Jericho as gently as I could. I laid her down softly to the side, removing my shirt so that she could lay on it to avoid burning her skin in the sand./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="906bc0669d11f4427853b392ddfaf416""Dark!" Mikhail paused his chanting for a moment to meet my eyes urgently, "We need your help. He's losing blood quickly, and we haven't more than two minutes at the most."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2299d7badf619b0cd28c99c3f038dcc5"I shook my head. "Mikhail, Demon's can't heal bodies, only minds. Druids have that ability, but Jericho isn't waking up any time soon," I said, regret in my voice. Mark and his dog came bounding over at that moment, Amy having finished her job and gone to assist Felix with the Elite girl./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="604497402d62d873bceaf634c2ae673e""Oh fuck, oh God Sean..." Mark whispered in horror at the sight of his battered friend. He fell to his knees, putting a hand to his mouth as the dog began to whine pitifully, nudging Sean's hand with her nose. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8a37f38639f940d2dc1b51da4a32a74d"The green haired boy's breaths began to get slower and softer, his face relaxing gradually. Signe, Mikhail and I did all we could, but there was only so much that we could do; None of us were natural healers and the knives were cursed blades, not to mention that the depth and size of the wounds made them hard enough to heal on their own. Signe's tears were flowing freely as she chanted words of healing over his expiring body. I hung my own head./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="df2627ebad77f8240cba5fc74016a760"The boy was going to die./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4ef06a3a984f7782d7d87f4c31d4fdee""I'm gonna be honest; this is the LAST thing I expected to see in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, Palestine."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0494f74c17a93f9e982ab0f5929316b5"I looked up. There was a young man standing indolently a couple yards off, a hand on his hip as he gazed blandly at the scene before him. He wore an ensemble of purple and black that made him look gothic. Mark and his dog leapt to their feet in front of us, seeing as we were too busy trying to keep Sean alive. I growled deep in my chest. We didn't have time for this./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d0c944ed4b4fba8b15218f8d247c1b60""If you value your life, boy, I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came. I still have more than enough energy to make a meal out of you," I snarled. The dog growled with hackles raised as if seconding my threat./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="20ca9dbc2f060d13953fd1caebcd998b"To my annoyance, the boy didn't run, opting instead to roll his dark eyes in exasperation. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="42bb2c3edc2446a58ae00793e762687d""Lighten up, Demon. I was just going to offer to help because I enjoyed watching that battle so much. It's really out of character for me but," He smirked at me, motioning to Sean's unconscious form, "You look like you're in a bit of a bind."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e18c511cf9e09b75a351927d8ecc257c""Why would you help us? Who are you?" Asked Signe shakily through her tears./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="949fa761eae4b75a037790133c421ac2" "The only reason I do anything is because I want to. And my name is Virgil; I'll be your doctor for the evening."/p  
p class="fixed-ratio" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; position: relative; height: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 958.991px; text-align: center; color: #555555;" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" data-p-id="9a07fd947b50c96e410e99188fd27254" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; position: relative; color: #555555;" data-media-type="image" data-image-layout="one-horizontal" data-p-id="f23d720d8cc3bc2a04c12509e8fe6e56" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfe201de5943405c840233fec4378a45" /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a564fae7d1fef5dc37536950c7475555"Dude wtf I'm just as shocked as you why did I write that in/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b7d02b64f9e47354bf0b62bf4c2cd954" /p  
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	70. Chapter 72

_Chica insert! No explanation. sorry. she's just there now, so deal with it.)_

"Oh, I'm not here to fight... but they are."

He smirked and gestured to our right before disappearing along with Anti. There, seemingly out of thin air, appeared fifteen of the same fighters we'd seen on the plane; The Elite. They surrounded us quickly, spreading out in an even circle with a wide berth as we did the same, facing outwards. There were collective curses and groans and a menacing growl from Chica as all of us took in our situation. All except for the Elite girl that was in our custody.

"Brothers! Sisters!" She cried, running to the outer circle her comrades had formed. None of us tried to stop her, though Felix let out a strangled sound of protest before he could stop himself. I scowled, peeved at the thought that even though we'd shown her mercy, she was still going to fight us.

At least, that's what I thought was going to happen.

There was a flash of black and silver in front of her before she stumbled back with a cry, clutching her stomach to try and stem the sudden profuse blood flow. It dripped down her torso and through her hands as she coughed and fell to her knees, evaporating into dry brown stains the second it hit the desert floor. There was a shocked silence before-

 _"MARZIA!"_ Felix screamed, running for the injured Elite. Mikhail lept forward and caught the boy in a head lock, wrestling him back. Felix grunted and struggled desperately the whole way.

There was a woman standing over 'Marzia' In the wake of her injury, looking down on her with a dead panned expression.

 _(This is Meesha when she was younger. just imagine she's about Mikhail's age, M'kay?)_

"You broke the rules, Agent," Came her cool, dispassionate voice.

"C-Councilwoman... why...?" Marzia asked weakly, trying to keep her voice steady. The woman knelt next to her, looking straight into her mask.

"You know that the Elite are never to be taken as prisoners. What have we taught you your entire life, child? If you are captured, you are compromised. Death is the only solution to the liability you become when you are under the enemy's power. That was your responsibility," She said, standing, "And you failed, instead choosing life over the safety of your fellow Elite and the security of your mission."

"Meesha... can you really question why I left? How can you live with yourself, treating your own comrades this way?" Wiishu shook her head sadly, "Don't be this way. Please."

The woman in black that she had called Meesha gazed back at Wiishu with a stone cold expression that told us she was unphased by the Witch's plea. She instead raised her sword, preparing to strike down at the helpless Marzia, who hung her head, not even attempting to save herself. No one moved. Were we really just going to sit here and do nothing? She was technically the enemy, yes, but no one deserved to die just because they wanted to live. Dark put a hand on my shoulder, shaking his head.

The sword began to descend. I closed my eyes.

 ** _"GRAAAAAAA!"_**

My eyes snapped back open at the vicious inhuman roar. Felix had broken free from Mikhail's hold and was wielding the old Knight's daggers, one held in his hand, and the other in his teeth as he stood before an astounded Meesha.

 _Felix was holding her blade with his bare hand, just an inch from Marzia's neck._

(The daggers)

Meesha crouched and jumped back about five yards, wrenching the sword from his grasp. I decided to act finally, running over and dragging Marzia back towards the rest of us.

"Felix. Felix, listen to me. You must remain calm. Don't do anything rash," Mikhail said tersely, watching the swede warily. Felix was bent in a strange fighting stance that made him look as if he was a cornered animal ready to lash out at any moment. His form was shivering violently as he breathed loudly, long and deep. The Elites near him backed up slightly, as if unsure what to do.

"He can't hear you, Mikhail," said Dark, "He's about to rage, there's nothing we can do."

Before I could ask about that, the entire scene exploded into motion.

Felix charged straight forward to clash with the Elites in his immediate vicinity as Meesha lept out of the way. I stared in amazement as he took on five of the fifteen, countering every strike, blow for blow. He would either shirk the flat of weapon or the arms and wrists that held them with one of his own limbs, or block them blade to blade while still having enough time to strike back at them with devastatingly well-placed slashes. His movements were unorthodox, unpredictable, and reckless with no perceivable pattern, yet he was in complete control. It was both horrible and beautiful to watch as he achieved his first kill in a matter of seconds, slitting the warrior's throat and moving on.

When the first man fell, the others charged us and the battle began. Amy nabbed my Caduceus and tossed it to Mark as Chica stood by his side, snarling viciously.

Here we go.


	71. Chapter 73

_**Mark's POV:**_

I didn't have much time to be horrified at Felix's vicious actions before the rest of the Elite rushed us. Shit! I didn't have a weapon, the fuck was I supposed to do!?

"Mark!" Shouted Amy. She tossed me the Caduceus and whirled around so that she was back to back with me. Chica was snarling like I'd never heard her before. Good girl!

The first one was on me in seconds, and I raised the caduceus out of reflex. I blocked them bodily, but one of the Elite's knives still got past me to lodge itself a couple inches into my shoulder. A white hot pain hit me a split second later, drawing a raw cry from my throat. I saw my opponent lift his other knife through a red haze of pain. I wasn't going to be able to block it, and I knew it. Dammit, why did I have to be the first one to go down?

Suddenly, I heard a deep bark as Chica tackled the man's legs, knocking him off balance and causing him to stumble back. She latched onto his arm and yanked her head back and forth, biting down for all she was worth.

 _'Did I just hear a crack? Jesus christ, Chica!'_

Time slowed to a stop as the man raised the knife in his other hand, preparing to bring it down on my baby's neck. I flung my hand into the air without thinking, almost as reflexively as I had blocked that first strike with the Caduceus. A bright stream of fire engulfed my hand and shot towards the Elite, exploding into his chest with an impact that sent him flying about twenty yards away. He landed with a thud and a cloud of sand, not moving. I stared in amazement as the fire burning on my hands began to crawl up my arms to my elbows. What the...

"Look out!" I heard Amy yell. My head shot up just in time to see a female elite get knocked out of the air before me by a pillar of solid rock that shot out of the ground.

"Get your head in the game!" She shouted as she continued to mold the earth to her will, using the entire planet as her weapon. I clenched my blazing fists, making them flare hotter. I turned to face my next opponent with a savage anticipation that surprised me. I felt powerful, invincible, like I could do anything! I didn't know what this was...

But I liked it. 

**_Felix's POV:_**

KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM

My mind was a haze of rage, my thoughts an incomprehensible jumble of murderous intent. I saw everything through what I can only describe as a red, misty veil that made everything seem as if it was moving in slow motion, like it was underwater. Every one of my senses was tipped into overdrive, so much so that I could sense things behind me and out of my line of sight as if I was seeing them with my eyes.

Even if I had been capable of forming coherent words, I couldn't have told you at the time how strange it felt to be in that feral state of mind. Mostly because it didn't feel strange at all; It felt amazing. I let go, losing myself in the delicate and dangerous dance of battle like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I finally met flesh with steel, ripping through my enemy's throat like it was butter. Errant droplets of blood fell on my face, assaulting my nostrils with the sweet, cloying scent.

Again.

I had to feel that again!

KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEM 

**_Mikhail's POV:_**

I was hit with a ridiculous feeling of nostalgia as Meesha and I blocked and struck out at each other relentlessly, holding nothing back. I used to think her beautiful when she was locked in battle; she always looked more like a dancer than a warrior, executing each maneuver to perfection before transitioning fluidly into the next with a flawless grace. It was a spectacle indeed.

Shame that I had to bear the brunt of it.

I feinted a slash at her legs before changing course, whirling around and sending my sword towards her head. She didn't miss a beat, meeting my blade with her own and locking them together by using her hilt as leverage against my own. her leg swept out from beneath her in an attempt to knock me off balance. I simply lept upwards, taking it a step further and pushing off into a back spin while stretching my foot out farther than necessary so that she had to bend backwards as well to avoid it. I came out of my maneuver to see her flipping out of a lithe back bend, landing flawlessly as always.

"You're just as graceful as I remember, _Dancer,"_ I called over the sounds of the surrounding battle as we circled one another. She simply scoffed.

"And your style is still just as unrefined as ever, Mikhail. After all these years, you're still doing just the bare minimum in a fight. Really, when will you learn proper technique?"

"I'm wounded," I said dryly.

"Let's see if we can do the same for your body!" She yelled as she charged me once more. She struck with deadly accuracy, thrusting her sword into my stomach before I could react. She withdrew her blade and stared down at me dispassionately as I crumpled to the ground.

"Good bye, Reaper. May the Gods we don't believe in have mercy on both our souls," She said as she turned away to rejoin the battle, satisfied with her victory. 

Meesha gagged as she jerked to a stop, a trickle of blood finding it's way to her lips as she gave a single involuntary cough. Her sword clattered to the ground as her arms fell limply by her sides. She shakily lifted her head from the blade protruding from her stomach to meet my cold gaze. I saw the spark of realization within her eyes as she realized what I had done. I leaned down to whisper in her ear:

"I may not be the most graceful fighter, it's true. But When it comes to third eye illusions, I wear the crown."

Meesha gagged again, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

"You'll pay... for this... R-Reaper..." She hissed shakily, unknowingly quoting Dark's words to me from all those years ago. I yanked my sword back and let her fall to the desert sand. I turned my back on her just as she had turned her back on me.

"You won't be around to see it done, Dancer." 


	72. Chapter 74

My eyes were torn away from Felix as the scene burst into frenzied motion. Dark and I flared our auras in an explosion of black, silver, white and blue, our minds automatically linking together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I felt myself drawing from his extensive experience in battle as I drew my own power up from within me, taking his three thousand years of blood and sweat for my own. I felt the savage joy of battle and the lust for blood that he did, while he felt my determination and fierce need to protect the ones that I love. We were no longer two separate entities, but one unit that shared a body, mind and soul between two vessels.

We were one.

Four enemies rushed us all at once. A little less than a month ago, I would have cowered and run, but now I was ready. I thrust my Caduceus into the ground before me and threw out a hand, forming a picture in my mind and reaching within me for the words I needed to make it a reality.

 _"حرق الضوء_ _!"_

There was a blinding flash of light from both my hand and the caduceus that struck the enemy closest to me. It struck him like lightening, engulfing his body in blue static crackles that made him seize up before collapsing to the ground.

I felt the arm holding the Caduceus move on its own as the next Elite advance a split second later, spinning itself in front of me to knock aside the knives extended towards my neck. I sent Dark a silent thanks that he returned smugly.

I ducked and then jumped to avoid the Elite's legs as he launched himself into a graceful roundhouse kick before using the momentum he gained to continue his spin, swiping his foot out quickly beneath me. I gripped my weapon with both hands, knocking aside his slashes and jabs with graceful spinning motions and economic movements that should have been impossible for a person of my skill level. It was as instinctive and natural as it was alien; I felt as if I was becoming another person that was more like me than I had ever been.

Suddenly, the feeling went much, much deeper.

 _I was standing over the broken body of my other half in the middle of a scorched stretch of a once green and grassy plain defiled by the recent burst of dark magic that ended the man's life. The residual flames ate through the remaining flora like acid as thick black smoke poisoned the open night air, smothering the stars and searing my eyes and nose and lungs. I felt dizzy from the unbearable heat and lack of oxygen as my breath was stolen, burned away even as I breathed it in._

 _I lifted my head to the smoky sky and let out a hoarse scream of abject rage and grief that split the night like a scythe, slicing through the deafening roar of the inferno that devoured the plain. When I finally lowered my head, letting it hang limply from my neck as I closed my tear filled eyes against the horrific sight. The salty droplets evaporated in the scorching heat before they even hit the ground._

 _"_ _Anjali damāqu...miilku ţēmu puzra ahāzu? lamādu šuklulu, lasāmu anu!"_

 _I looked up to see a tall humanoid form approaching me steadily, silhouetted by the flames at his back so that the only features I could see were his slitted eyes, gleaming from withing with a sick golden glow that was somehow brighter than the fire he walked through. I didn't need to see him to know who he was, though; hearing his soft hissing tone in that foreign yet familiar language was enough. I stepped in front of my lover's body as the man neared._

 _"Galātu. Ammatu, Anjali? lā, maşi. ula ahulap ikkibu. šuklulii šīmtu, ahulap bāšītu."_

 _He stopped a mere pace from me, a white crescent shaped gash appearing on his face as he grinned wickedly, reaching out to cradle my cheek. I stood frozen, shaking with anger, grief, and fear as his ice cold skin made contact with mine, the difference in temperatures between us so extreme that it burned. I opened my trembling lips._

 _"mušhuššu ēdiššu..._ _"_ _I whispered, my voice unsteady as brushed away my tears. He just chuckled._

 _"_ _šuklulu mimma, damāqu. niĝkukuda niĝul abunnatu mimma eşēpu. redû,_  
 _Anjali."_ _He took my hand and began to turn, as if expecting me to follow him as he asked with out complaint. I wrenched away from him, slapping his hand away._

 _"_ _al! Duppuru al!_ _" I screamed. My fists clenched so tightly that I felt my nails dig into my palms, drawing blood. I shoved my grief deep inside me as I reached for my power, flaring my aura and feeling the familiar fire streaming through my veins. The storm of bright blue energy blew away the fire and smoke, clearing the earth and sky for miles around._

 _The Demon that I most despised and feared turned towards me slowly, his face as stone cold as his skin as he took me in. He stepped back a bit, cocking his head._

 _"_ _Mi_ _nû? Mimmusu_ lasāmu anu. Redu. _"_

 _I didn't respond, simply raising my arms and concentrated every last iota of my power into my hands, throwing my broken heart and soul fully into my attack. I wouldn't give in, I would NEVER give in._

 _Anshar 'iikh would PAY for what he'd done to my love! they ALL would!_

 ** _"Mâtu!"_**

Here's the translation to that conversation. It's in Sumerian, the oldest known language that we have a phonetic knowledge of. There was Sanscrit before that, but fuck that complicated mess. The order of words on sumerian is a bit like those in spanish, except without all the complicated mess of prepositions and pronouns. It's a much simpler language. anyway, here you go:

 _ **"Anjali damāqu**_ sweet Anjali... ** _miilku ţēmu puzra ahāzu?_** Thought you to take refuge/to hide? _lamādu šuklulu, lasāmu anu!"_ Learn will you, There exists none!

 _ **"Galātu.**_ You tremble. **_Ammatu, Anjali?_** why is it this way, Anjali? _**lā, maşi.**_ No, enough. _**ula ahulap**_ **_ikkibu_**. Weep not over a forbidden thing. **_šuklulii šīmtu, ahulap bāšītu._** Your destiny am I, weep over me.

 ** _"Mušhuššu ēdiššu..."_** A monster you are...

 ** _"šuklulu mimma, damāqu._** Mine you are, beautiful thing. ** _niĝkukuda niĝul abunnatu mimma eşēpu._** A sweetness everlasting will our joining be, my companion/mate. _**redû,**_  
 ** _Anjali._** Follow, Anjali.

 ** _"Al! Duppuru al!"_** no! stay back/retreat! no!

 _ **"Minû?**_ Why? **_Mimmusu lasāmu anu._** to do this is useless. _**Redu.**_ Submit

 _ **"Mâtu!"**_ Die! 


	73. Chapter 75

I came out of the vision in the same stance that I had left it in, arms extended in attack, face frozen in an awful grimace of rage. I came back to myself after a few moments and slowly straightened to observed my surroundings, dazed by the sudden change in location. The battle was over, a cloud of residual dust hovering over the scene. There were pillars of earth and large, wickedly sharp stones scattered across the area that hadn't been there before. One errant shard of rock had impaled itself into the abdomen of one of the Elite, nailing him to the floor. I looked from body to body, nearly gagging at the horrific scene.

There was one body that was scorched beyond recognition, as if they'd been thrown into a live volcano. Any metallic components of their armor had melted into a viscous liquid, dripping off of their blackened bones between the sparse scraps of seared meat that somehow still clung to their skeleton. Their skull was gilded evenly with the remnants of their ruined mask, making it shine like a macabre piece of modern art. The silver and black mess that had once been their face was frozen in a horrible scream of pain, their jaw stretched open so far that it looked almost broken.

There were five dead Elites surrounding a panting Felix as he stood hunched over, covered in blood and sporting a number of wounds himself. At least, there were five as far as I could tell. It was difficult to differentiate between the mangled corpses that were missing limbs and heads as they laid still on the desert floor. There was so much blood that not all of it had a chance to evaporate, even in this were five torsos. I counted three heads.

I was shocked and horrified to see that one of the dead had apparently killed himself, still gripping the knives that were lodged deeply in his neck. There was another cadaver beside him with a silver arrow protruding from the eye hole of her mask.

Directly in my line of sight were two more of the Elite, one about twenty feet away and another just ten. I felt bile rise in my throat. One of them was missing a large portion of their torso: half of their chest and abdomen, and their entire shoulder and arm. The other was rent completely in two, their body blasted apart at the waist into two pieces that lay five feet apart, their charred intestines trailing behind them.

I turned around to see that of the two Dark had been fighting, one was missing without a trace. The other was lying on the ground in what at first glance seemed like a normal spread eagled position. If you looked closer, you could see that this wasn't the case at all. The head was facing skyward and tilted at an almost ninety degree angle on its neck. The torso faced downwards while the legs were each twisted in a one-eighty from their original angle.

The last one was completely normal, to my relief. The limbs had even been arranged to lay straight by his side so he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully instead of lying dead in the dirt.

I swayed on my feet, breaking into a cold sweat despite the hellish temperature as I swallowed dryly. The world spun wildly around me, the blood and dirt and unbearable brightness of the Israeli sun blending into an indiscernible nauseating blur as tunnel vision began to set in.

I had just begun plummeting to the ground when I felt a strong pair of arms catch me and lift me up bridal style. I didn't think of anything else after that.

 ** _Dark's POV:_**

I tossed my broken toy to the ground with a metallic clatter, baring my teeth in a savage grin as I watched the body flop limply. The other one had made a terrific meal, if not a tad too quick.

I would never tire of battle.

I was so caught up in the afterglow of the kill that I almost didn't notice Jericho beginning to collapse behind me. She moaned in discomfort as she swayed unsteadily on her feet, her weapon laying forgotten on the ground by her feet. Cursing myself for not paying better attention, I turned quickly to catch her as she fell, pulling her up to rest against my chest. I worriedly took inventory of both her body and mind as she hung in a dead faint from my arms, searching for any injury. To my everlasting relief, I found nothing but a faint twinge of fear and disgust at both the battle and its aftermath. I couldn't help the slight upward twitch of my lips at that. She was so sensitive and soft hearted, not the type of creature I would have ever expected to love.

My smile faded when I noticed a disturbing change in her psyche. It was almost like I was holding two different people, one Jericho and the other older, more wizened and tried. What in the nine circles of hades...

 _"SEAN!_ Sean, stay with me, dammit! Don't you fucking croak on me now, Irish!"

My head jerked upward at Signe's scream as I finally took in the rest of the scene. Felix was kneeling on the ground next to the injured Marzia, applying pressure to the wound in her abdomen. I was surprised that he was still standing with the amount of injuries he'd sustained.

Mark was being tended to by Amy, who had her hands to his temples. His eyes were glowing a deep red, and he looked to be in pain. The dog was laying her head on his leg. If I were a lesser being, I would think her actions cute.

I cringed at the sight that met my eyes when I turned towards Signe's voice. Sean was sprawled on the ground, Mikhail and Signe kneeling beside him. Signe was trying to stem the bleeding from a nasty wound on the boy's shoulder that was at least three to four inches deep, severing the muscles there.

 _(A/N: three to four inches might not SOUND like much, but a wound of that depth can be devastating, trust me. People have bled out with less.)_

Mikhail was holding his hands over yet another deadly slash, this one located on Sean's chest. The boy's head was thrashing in his fevered sleep, his eyelids fluttering as he bled out on the ground. I cursed bitterly for the second time in as many minutes, dashing to their side while cradling Jericho as gently as I could. I laid her down softly to the side, removing my shirt so that she could lay on it to avoid burning her skin in the sand.

"Dark!" Mikhail paused his chanting for a moment to meet my eyes urgently, "We need your help. He's losing blood quickly, and we haven't more than two minutes at the most."

I shook my head. "Mikhail, Demon's can't heal bodies, only minds. Druids have that ability, but Jericho isn't waking up any time soon," I said, regret in my voice. Mark and his dog came bounding over at that moment, Amy having finished her job and gone to assist Felix with the Elite girl.

"Oh fuck, oh God Sean..." Mark whispered in horror at the sight of his battered friend. He fell to his knees, putting a hand to his mouth as the dog began to whine pitifully, nudging Sean's hand with her nose.

The green haired boy's breaths began to get slower and softer, his face relaxing gradually. Signe, Mikhail and I did all we could, but there was only so much that we could do; None of us were natural healers and the knives were cursed blades, not to mention that the depth and size of the wounds made them hard enough to heal on their own. Signe's tears were flowing freely as she chanted words of healing over his expiring body. I hung my own head.

The boy was going to die.

"I'm gonna be honest; this is the LAST thing I expected to see in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, Palestine."

I looked up. There was a young man standing indolently a couple yards off, a hand on his hip as he gazed blandly at the scene before him. He wore an ensemble of purple and black that made him look gothic. Mark and his dog leapt to their feet in front of us, seeing as we were too busy trying to keep Sean alive. I growled deep in my chest. We didn't have time for this.

"If you value your life, boy, I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came. I still have more than enough energy to make a meal out of you," I snarled. The dog growled with hackles raised as if seconding my threat.

To my annoyance, the boy didn't run, opting instead to roll his dark eyes in exasperation.

"Lighten up, Demon. I was just going to offer to help because I enjoyed watching that battle so much. It's really out of character for me but," He smirked at me, motioning to Sean's unconscious form, "You look like you're in a bit of a bind."

"Why would you help us? Who are you?" Asked Signe shakily through her tears.

"The only reason I do anything is because I want to. And my name is Virgil; I'll be your doctor for the evening


	74. Chapter 76

I came out of the vision in the same stance that I had left it in, arms extended in attack, face frozen in an awful grimace of rage. I came back to myself after a few moments and slowly straightened to observed my surroundings, dazed by the sudden change in location. The battle was over, a cloud of residual dust hovering over the scene. There were pillars of earth and large, wickedly sharp stones scattered across the area that hadn't been there before. One errant shard of rock had impaled itself into the abdomen of one of the Elite, nailing him to the floor. I looked from body to body, nearly gagging at the horrific scene.

There was one body that was scorched beyond recognition, as if they'd been thrown into a live volcano. Any metallic components of their armor had melted into a viscous liquid, dripping off of their blackened bones between the sparse scraps of seared meat that somehow still clung to their skeleton. Their skull was gilded evenly with the remnants of their ruined mask, making it shine like a macabre piece of modern art. The silver and black mess that had once been their face was frozen in a horrible scream of pain, their jaw stretched open so far that it looked almost broken.

There were five dead Elites surrounding a panting Felix as he stood hunched over, covered in blood and sporting a number of wounds himself. At least, there were five as far as I could tell. It was difficult to differentiate between the mangled corpses that were missing limbs and heads as they laid still on the desert floor. There was so much blood that not all of it had a chance to evaporate, even in this were five torsos. I counted three heads.

I was shocked and horrified to see that one of the dead had apparently killed himself, still gripping the knives that were lodged deeply in his neck. There was another cadaver beside him with a silver arrow protruding from the eye hole of her mask.

Directly in my line of sight were two more of the Elite, one about twenty feet away and another just ten. I felt bile rise in my throat. One of them was missing a large portion of their torso: half of their chest and abdomen, and their entire shoulder and arm. The other was rent completely in two, their body blasted apart at the waist into two pieces that lay five feet apart, their charred intestines trailing behind them.

I turned around to see that of the two Dark had been fighting, one was missing without a trace. The other was lying on the ground in what at first glance seemed like a normal spread eagled position. If you looked closer, you could see that this wasn't the case at all. The head was facing skyward and tilted at an almost ninety degree angle on its neck. The torso faced downwards while the legs were each twisted in a one-eighty from their original angle.

The last one was completely normal, to my relief. The limbs had even been arranged to lay straight by his side so he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully instead of lying dead in the dirt.

I swayed on my feet, breaking into a cold sweat despite the hellish temperature as I swallowed dryly. The world spun wildly around me, the blood and dirt and unbearable brightness of the Israeli sun blending into an indiscernible nauseating blur as tunnel vision began to set in.

I had just begun plummeting to the ground when I felt a strong pair of arms catch me and lift me up bridal style. I didn't think of anything else after that.

 ** _Dark's POV:_**

I tossed my broken toy to the ground with a metallic clatter, baring my teeth in a savage grin as I watched the body flop limply. The other one had made a terrific meal, if not a tad too quick.

I would never tire of battle.

I was so caught up in the afterglow of the kill that I almost didn't notice Jericho beginning to collapse behind me. She moaned in discomfort as she swayed unsteadily on her feet, her weapon laying forgotten on the ground by her feet. Cursing myself for not paying better attention, I turned quickly to catch her as she fell, pulling her up to rest against my chest. I worriedly took inventory of both her body and mind as she hung in a dead faint from my arms, searching for any injury. To my everlasting relief, I found nothing but a faint twinge of fear and disgust at both the battle and its aftermath. I couldn't help the slight upward twitch of my lips at that. She was so sensitive and soft hearted, not the type of creature I would have ever expected to love.

My smile faded when I noticed a disturbing change in her psyche. It was almost like I was holding two different people, one Jericho and the other older, more wizened and tried. What in the nine circles of hades...

 _"SEAN!_ Sean, stay with me, dammit! Don't you fucking croak on me now, Irish!"

My head jerked upward at Signe's scream as I finally took in the rest of the scene. Felix was kneeling on the ground next to the injured Marzia, applying pressure to the wound in her abdomen. I was surprised that he was still standing with the amount of injuries he'd sustained.

Mark was being tended to by Amy, who had her hands to his temples. His eyes were glowing a deep red, and he looked to be in pain. The dog was laying her head on his leg. If I were a lesser being, I would think her actions cute.

I cringed at the sight that met my eyes when I turned towards Signe's voice. Sean was sprawled on the ground, Mikhail and Signe kneeling beside him. Signe was trying to stem the bleeding from a nasty wound on the boy's shoulder that was at least three to four inches deep, severing the muscles there.

 _(A/N: three to four inches might not SOUND like much, but a wound of that depth can be devastating, trust me. People have bled out with less.)_

Mikhail was holding his hands over yet another deadly slash, this one located on Sean's chest. The boy's head was thrashing in his fevered sleep, his eyelids fluttering as he bled out on the ground. I cursed bitterly for the second time in as many minutes, dashing to their side while cradling Jericho as gently as I could. I laid her down softly to the side, removing my shirt so that she could lay on it to avoid burning her skin in the sand.

"Dark!" Mikhail paused his chanting for a moment to meet my eyes urgently, "We need your help. He's losing blood quickly, and we haven't more than two minutes at the most."

I shook my head. "Mikhail, Demon's can't heal bodies, only minds. Druids have that ability, but Jericho isn't waking up any time soon," I said, regret in my voice. Mark and his dog came bounding over at that moment, Amy having finished her job and gone to assist Felix with the Elite girl.

"Oh fuck, oh God Sean..." Mark whispered in horror at the sight of his battered friend. He fell to his knees, putting a hand to his mouth as the dog began to whine pitifully, nudging Sean's hand with her nose.

The green haired boy's breaths began to get slower and softer, his face relaxing gradually. Signe, Mikhail and I did all we could, but there was only so much that we could do; None of us were natural healers and the knives were cursed blades, not to mention that the depth and size of the wounds made them hard enough to heal on their own. Signe's tears were flowing freely as she chanted words of healing over his expiring body. I hung my own head.

The boy was going to die.

"I'm gonna be honest; this is the LAST thing I expected to see in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere, Palestine."

I looked up. There was a young man standing indolently a couple yards off, a hand on his hip as he gazed blandly at the scene before him. He wore an ensemble of purple and black that made him look gothic. Mark and his dog leapt to their feet in front of us, seeing as we were too busy trying to keep Sean alive. I growled deep in my chest. We didn't have time for this.

"If you value your life, boy, I suggest you turn around and go back the way you came. I still have more than enough energy to make a meal out of you," I snarled. The dog growled with hackles raised as if seconding my threat.

To my annoyance, the boy didn't run, opting instead to roll his dark eyes in exasperation.

"Lighten up, Demon. I was just going to offer to help because I enjoyed watching that battle so much. It's really out of character for me but," He smirked at me, motioning to Sean's unconscious form, "You look like you're in a bit of a bind."

"Why would you help us? Who are you?" Asked Signe shakily through her tears.

"The only reason I do anything is because I want to. And my name is Virgil; I'll be your doctor for the evening


	75. Chapter 77

**_Fell's POV:_**

Finally! I'd finally gotten through to her at long last. Three lifetimes ago had I found Anjali again, and three lifetimes over had I failed to connect with her. But now, there was no mistaking it; she remembered.

I would let them regroup for the moment. But once Jericho led me to where I needed to be, I would strike, hard and fast.

And she would be mine.

 _(Virgil's Theme ^^^)_

 ** _Dark's POV:_**

"You can call me virgil. Now do you want my help or not?"

Sean's breath was light and weak, his chest barely moving. Mikhail, Wiishu and I shared a meaningful look as Mikhail continued chanting to keep Sean in stasis; We didn't have much of a choice. Letting him die simply wasn't an option. I didn't like humans on the best of days, but my choice of company recently had shown me that they might not all be the disgusting rats that I thought they were. That meant something.

I narrowed my eyes at the one called Virgil. "And what's in it for you?"

The boy blinked slowly and raised a single eyebrow, still looking bored. "Well, I _would_ say nothing. But unfortunately for you, my power doesn't come for free. It's tit for tat, give and take. I'm going to need a sacrifice." He smirked as my eyes widened in realization.

 _"A Djinn..."_ Whispered Wiishu, stealing the words from my mouth. Virgil nodded before giving a mocking little bow.

"Virgil Sanders, _The Sandman,_ at your service. Now about the sacri-"

"What sacrifice? I'll pay it, whatever it is, just don't let him die!" Said Mark, stepping forward. The dog followed him, growling and biting the leg of his pants to try and pull him back as if she knew what he was offering to the Djinn. Virgil's eyebrows rose just a tad at Mark's brave words.

"Hm. Are you sure? You don't even know what I'm about to demand in return for my services, human. Are you always this impulsive?"

"Stand down, Mark. Djinns, though powerful, are unpredictable in their requirements. You'll never know the price until it's already been paid. Deplorable creatures," I growled. "I'll be the one to make the deal, Djinn. What will it take?"

Virgil sauntered over, running his dispassionate eyes over Sean's weak form. He met my eyes when he was done with his analysis.

"Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into there, huh?"

We remained silent, waiting. He closed his eyes for a moment, brow furrowing in concentration.

"...Give me something close to your heart that I can hold in my hands. Something old of sentimental value; I'll need at least a couple decades of mileage on the object." He opened his eyes and held out a hand. "What do you say? Quid pro quo?"

It only took a moment of thought and even less hesitation before I immediately reached for my sword. It was over five hundred years old; it would do the trick. I watched him take it from my hands with a sharp pang of regret. That sword was one of a kind, and very powerful; I would miss it dearly. He nodded in satisfaction as I looked on resentfully, raising a hand over the blade. It began to glow with its usual black light before its aura was slowly corrupted by a purple tinge that slowly took over the blade until it almost looked like a completely different weapon. I watched in dismay as my faithful sword began dissolving into violet colored dust.

The dust floated down over Sean, traveling to his wounds and seeping into them. They immediately scabbed over as if they had been healing for weeks, the skin knitting together to form a half-baked scar. There was a collective sigh of relief as Sean relaxed. Mikhail finally stopped his chanting and dropped his arms tiredly.

Suddenly, Virgil stopped.

My eyes shot to his, narrowing in suspicion. The sword was only half dissolved; there should have been more than enough to do what was required and more.

"What's the meaning of this, Djinn? finish the job!" Wiishu snapped in an uncharacteristic show of anger. Virgil crossed his arms.

"Calm down Witch, Don't get your Caduceus in a twist. He'll survive. And what about your poor injured agent over there? Is she important enough to save as well?"

Ah. We'd forgotten about the Elite. I glanced from where Felix was hunched over her body back to Virgil and nodded. Wordlessly, the Djinn began dissolving the sword again, this time directing the shimmering purple dust in that direction. Felix leapt up in shock before falling back to his knees, gawking in amazement as her abdominal wound began to heal, scarring over before the dust turned on him and did the same for all of his less deadly but still severe topical wounds.

"Hm. Not my best work, but it'll have to do," Virgil muttered. He tossed what was left of the sword- The pommel and hilt- up in the air where it exploded in a burst of deep purple light. He open his mouth, sucking in the residue and licking his lips. "Tasty though. Sorry about your sword, I could tell it was powerful."

Everyone stood, carrying our wounded; Mikhail for Sean, Felix for the Elite girl, and I for my Jericho. None of us were sure of what to do after the violence and strain of the past half hour as we stood regarding the newcomer silently. He finally closed his eyes, leaned back his head, and sighed. When he looked back at us, his eyes held the slightest bit of amusement.

"Your little motley crew is making quite the splash in the Paranormal world, blood king. Word travels fast." He let out a little huff of laughter. "A Demon, a Hunter, The Hex Witch and The Reaper, an Elite, a Land Sprite, an impossible Druid, and three human vessels, two of which consist of a Seether and an Evokerof all things. And a random golden retriever to boot." He shook his head, looking perplexed and a bit intrigued.

"Luckily for you, nobody knows about the gifted humans or the Druid yet. I honestly dismissed the stories as rumors until I saw you with my own eyes. Is it true what they say about you? Are The Snake and The Fallen really on your tail?"

"What of it? Why are we of any interest to you?" Mikhail asked suspiciously before I could. The Djinn simply shrugged.

"You're of interest because you're _interesting,_ Reaper. I've got a right to be curious, don't I? Come on, throw me a line. I wanna stick around to see how this plays out, and you could benefit from my help," He offered, "If you want to get out of this desert quickly, I'm your best bet. You know that Djinn can teleport way farther than you ever could."

I growled, a sentiment that was immediately echoed by Mark's dog. Once again, what choice did we have? The only one of our rag tag group that could actually teleport had likely little to no power left to do so, and with the drain on the rest of us combined with the dead weight of our injured, I seriously doubted that we stood a ghost of a chance surviving another trek through the Israeli desert heat. Damn our luck.

"What do you have in mind?" 

**_Jericho's POV:_**

 _"Jericho... Jericho..."_

I was stirred from my slumber by a gentle voice that seemed to melt over my ears like warm honey. It was comforting, familiar, and safe, conjuring happy memories and emotions from deep in my mind... not all of them mine.

I didn't open my eyes, but a figure appeared anyway. She was...

Her skin and hair were fair and light like mine, with slanted, elfish features that pleasantly drew the eye. She had circular figures scarred into her forehead, and what looked like war paint brushed onto her exotic features. She was wearing silver armor that was well worn, tarnished and dented. It looked a bit like mine, without the gemstones and obviously designed to be far more intimidating.

Her stature was confident and proud, with her face upturned slightly and her unfaltering eyes intent on mine as we stood observing each other. Those eyes... they were dull and bright at the same time, as if she'd been beaten down more times than could be counted only to emerge victorious on the other side. They held so much history, so much blood and tradgedy, so much courage... and yet, they were still compassionate, as if she'd rather help than harm like she was forced to.

She opened her lips slowly, the familiar voice reaching my ears and mind once more.

 _"You're awake..."_

Remember, you can vote on every chapter! It really helps, so give that star a click!


	76. Chapter 78

Dark's POV:

"...What did you have in mind, Djinn?" I asked warily. The one called Virgil smirked and clapped his hands together.

"Finally, a break from boredom!"

"Woah woah woah!" Broke in a disgruntled Felix, "You can't seriously be considering this! We don't even know him!" He yelled as Mark nodded in fervent agreement. I rolled my eyes inwardly.

"Really, of all the times for you idiots to grow some common sense, it has to be when we have no other choice?" I growled, "Just be silent and stay out of the way."

The Djinn coughed conspicuously, drawing our attention. "Are you guys done with your dick fighting competition, or do I have a couple more minutes to work on my tan?" 

Jericho's POV:

 _"You are awake..."_

I blinked, unable to respond at first. "Who are you?"

 _"Jezebel, Benehime, Arihaan, among many others... but most know me by Anjali-Apeksha,"_ She answered softly, her expression unchanging.

A shock went through me at the familiar name. "It's you. You're... the original me, right?" I said unsteadily, suddenly nervous. Despite the fact that I knew we were the same person, this person still felt alien to me. she didn't look or act anything like me besides the vague resemblance in our features. "What's happening? Why are you here? Actually, where _is_ here?"

Her eyes shifted to somewhere above my head, gathering her thoughts as I waited impatiently. _"I have been awakened by force, not by choice. By the Demon Anshar 'iikh. The one you know as Fell."_

I stepped back. "E-excuse me? That's impossible, that would make him...like..."

She nodded. _"Two million years old, yes. He has hidden this well. He faded into obscurity after the death of my love to avoid backlash from the other Demons, who blamed him for the curse that I brought upon them and the sudden death of over half of the Druids."_

"Tell me you didn't...," I whispered, ready to break down in tears at her words, hardly believing my own ears, "Tell me that someone who shares my soul committed genocide..."

To my dismay, she drew herself up taller, looking unaffected by my accusatory words. _"I called upon my sisters for aid. I sent out message after message pleading for help to anyone who would hear me."_ She shook her head, her eyes growing harder. _"They heard, but they didn't listen. They would have let me rot in his clutches for eternity as he continued to use the power he gained from our joining to gorge himself on the blood and fear of the helpless humans. This is justice, Jericho. The perfect punishment for an unforgivable crime."_

I just stood dumbstruck as her cruel words washed over me. "Why didn't they help you? I thought Druids were supposed to be compassionate. Didn't they side with the humans?"

She shook her head. _"The way humans kept record in those times, mouth to mouth in stories, was often inaccurate. It was only I who allied myself with the weaker species, giving them the gift of magic, giving them the tools they needed to fight back. Before me, they never had a chance."_

My mind whirled. I wasn't sure how to feel about this woman. She had saved an entire race from slavery and servitude, but had doomed her own and who knew how many others. On the other hand, she was forced to be this way. In any case, I still felt sick knowing that I shared a soul with her. was I capable of the same?

Her eyes softened as if she was reading my thoughts. _"I know how you feel about me, Jericho. I know how any Druid would feel about me. This is also why I chose to remain within my hosts in a sort of hibernation. I couldn't kill myself; it is a side affect of the runes. In order to keep them hidden to the best of my ability, I had to hide them myself, Keeping my old memories separate from each new life. You are your own person, Jericho. I, or the person you were, have no sway over you or your decisions in the present."_

Her eyes grew hard again, her tone bitter. _"But now that Anshar has awakened me, there is a greater chance of him getting to the runes... and to me. His obsession with me has not waned over the millennia. His insanity only grows, and I can no longer hide from it. What happens next is up to you and your..."_ Her face twisted, _"Your_ mate."

Ah. of course she wouldn't like Dark; he was a Demon after all. I crossed my arms resolutely. "Despite how you feel about him, I love him, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

Her eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her voice calm. _"I am aware. I would not wrench away your freedom of choice as Anshar did mine."_

She looked upwards at something I couldn't see. _"I must go. I have been hidden for many a long year, and my power wanes,"_ she said, looking at me again, _"But rest assured I will be watching. I have not felt the need to intervene thus far, but if your mate becomes a threat to the sanctity of the runes, I will not hesitate. Am I clear, Jericho?"_ she stepped closer as she spoke until we were about a foot apart. She was about an inch taller than me.

Yep. I'd made up my mind; I didn't like her.

"Crystal," I growled. She simply nodded

 _"Then I will release you for the time being. Farewell, child; and take care."_ She raised a hand, and the darkness consumed us both.


	77. Chapter 79

Sean's POV:

No.

 _No_.

Not again...

I was walking on an plane of dark water that extended without end into a pitch black horizon that was like an empty night sky. There was no sound except for the deafening roar of my heartbeat in my ears. There was no movement except for the faint ripples in the opaque surface around my feet. There was no light here. There was nothing but nothing, nothing but a horrifying emptiness that closed in on all sides, inescapable.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear through the darkness, fight back. I wanted to run. I wanted to curl up and die, _anything_ to escape this, _anything_ to escape that monster in this intimate of a setting.

But of course I didn't do any of that. I couldn't. What good would it do me? It always ended the same. I couldn't run from him when he held the reigns in my mind. My fists clenched at my sides involuntarily.

I was just as powerless as before.

The insane giggle that I knew so well echoed through the boundless darkness, slicing through the silence. I ground my teeth against the sound and hung my head in helpless defeat. I hadn't had another dream like this since that night. _God_ , I thought this part was _over_.

My eyes filled with tears as the sounds of his mocking amusement assaulted my senses, yanking unwanted memories to the surface of my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut against the unbearable pain as unbidden tears seared their way down my cheeks, burning hot on my face before dripping down into the inky water below with small sounds that felt deafening to my sensitive ears. I cursed myself bitterly for being so weak.

"Gotta agree with you there, Jacky," came the high pitched voice of my nemesis. I stayed where I was, willing myself with all my might to wake up. My efforts were met with that awful fucking cackle.

"Nope! You're _much_ too weak right now. The resistance did quite the number on you little rats, didn't they?" He paused. "At least the head bitch is dead though. Thanks for that at least," He said with an air of malicious satisfaction. I didn't bother asking what the hell he meant by that.

"What do you want, Anti?" I ground out, opening my eyes to glare out into the blackness that was darker than the one behind my eyes.

"Preeeetty sure we've made that quite clear," Came his voice again, floating first from my side and then behind me at a distance that was ever changing. One second it sounded as if he were a football field away, and right by my ear the next. I knew the effect was a scare tactic, meant to be disconcerting, to throw me off my game.

It was working.

"You'll never get your disgusting hands on her. I won't let you!" I snarled, injecting as much venom as I could into my declaration. Anti's disembodied voice scoffed abrasively.

"What, like the way I got to your little human whore? What was her name, Shelley, Sarah..."

" _HER NAME IS NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!"_ I screamed, a primal, burning rage building in my blood and roaring in my ears at his flippant tone, " _YOU DON'T GET TO EVEN_ ** _THINK_** _HER NAME, YOU FUCKING_ _ **MONSTER**_ _!"_

I reached behind me for my crossbow from force of habit, roaring wordlessly in frustration when my hand came up empty. This was his world; It was folly to think for even a second that I could gain any sort of leverage here.

"Ohhhhh, touchy," he chortled. Did he ever stop laughing? "Wanna talk about it while we paint our nails and eat ice cream?"

I didn't respond. I was done letting him goad me.

After a couple beats of silence, he sighed in disappointment. "Aw, you're no fun. Well let's get right down to it."

And with that, he was quiet once more. I turned about slowly, my eyes scanning the monochrome waterscape apprehensively. Here it was; when he wasn't babbling was when he was most dangerous. How would I go out this time? Asphyxiation? Burning alive? Or maybe he'd make me melt from the inside out like last time, that was easily his most creative.

A solid minute crawled by. Nothing. What was he doing? Anti was never one to savor a kill. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, goosebumps erupting on my arms and legs.

Suddenly, a pale, bony hand shot out of the water beneath my feet, latching onto my right ankle with a brutal iron grip that ground the bones in my shin together. I cried out in shock and pain as the hand yanked downward, pulling me under what had previously served as a solid surface. I floundered clumsily, fighting desperately against my downward trajectory.  
The second I could no longer feel the hand on my ankle, I began stroking through the water as hard as I could in the direction I assumed was up, though I was so disoriented I had no way of knowing whether I was just driving myself deeper into the black abyss. I tried expelling a small breath to see which way the bubbles would go, but they just floated there in stasis, warbling cheerfully.

My oxygen supply began to wane after about thirty seconds, and I struggled against unconsciousness. Was it even possible to just pass out in his little mind trap? I was under the impression that I had to die before he let me go.

Maybe I should just give in and pull the rug right out from under him, refuse to play his game. Decided, I steeled myself, preparing to take a deep breath of water when I was dragged upward bodily, my arms, legs, and head snapping back in the water with the speed at which I was pulled along.

I shot out of the water finally, the force that seized me finally relenting it's hold. But I continued on my upward trajectory, my limp appendages trailing behind me in my oxygen- deprived delirium. It took me three full seconds to hit the water again, so I must have been pretty high up. The impact knocked the breath out of me, paralyzing me as I laid there uselessly convulsing and coughing up water.

"Please. You're not getting out of this THAT easily you little weasel," came Anti's grating tambre once more. There wasn't a hint of his earlier amusement in his voice. "Besides. As fun as it sounds to watch you drown like a pathetic rat again, that's not what I'm here for this time. Trust me, you're gonna LOVE this..."

"Whatever you're going to do, just do it already, dammit!" I screamed, voice cracking from the strain on my throat and longs he'd caused moments ago. I forced myself shakily up onto my hands and knees, determined to take whatever he threw at me standing up.

"Oh, I'm not gonna do anything, Sean," the Demon said, a wicked grin audible in his voice.

Both of my ankles were grabbed this time, roughly jerking backwards so that I fell forward, landing with a faint 'oof' back on my hands and knees once again. My eyes widened first in shock and then in terror when I saw what was below me on the water's surface. It looked like my reflection at first glance, but his... no, IT'S face was twisted Into an insidious smirk, it's green serpentine eyes gleaming malevolently as they bore into mine. I don't think I could have moved if I wanted to.

His smirk widened as he looked up at me smugly with an intimidating air that suggested that it was the other way around.

"I'm not going to do anything, Sean..." He repeated slowly before grasping my wrists with his own, pulling my arms into the water and forcing my face close to the surface.

"...You are."

His insane cackle filling my eardrums was last thing I registered before everything went darker than it already was.


	78. Chapter 80

Jericho's POV:

My eyes flew open as I shot into a sitting position with a deep gasp, like I had just took a deep dive and come up for air.

"Easy, easy, Jericho..." I heard a voice say. It just so happened to be the one voice in the world that I needed to hear in that moment.

"Dark!" I cried, pulling him to me from where I was sitting on the... bed? I let go and looked around in confusion.

It seemed like I'd been doing that a lot lately.

My current surroundings were even stranger than the pitch black nothing that was in my dream.

We were in the middle of a gorgeous moonlit lake under a wide open starry night sky. Silver clouds floated lazily over the ark of the heavens, bathing the landscape in intricate patterns of brilliant light and shadow. Looking down to where I laid and Dark sat, I saw a bed and blankets that seemed to be fashioned straight out of the surrounding waterscape. The fabric gave the illusion of being lifted straight out of the lake, the threads seeming to move and sway in the same way as the water below, while still maintaining their shape.

I looked up at Dark's concerned face as he stroked my hair soothingly, clasping my hand in his own. I returned his relieved smile with a beam of my own.

"Hey."

"Good morning, love. Feeling better?" He murmured as he planted an abbreviated kiss on my forehead.

My smile faded, the elation that came over me at his presence fading as I remembered Anjali's words.

"I wish I could say I do..."

Felix's POV:

My heart hurt. Seeing her betrayed by her friends like that, and then watching as one of her leaders struck her down...

It just... hurt.

As I sat there at Marzia's bedside, I wasn't sure why I felt the way I did. I had absolutely no reason to feel any sort of affection towards her. I barely knew her and had nothing but unpleasant encounters with her so far. She wasn't even my type for God's sake! She was so... _so..._

I sighed.

" _För fan i helvete!"_ I cursed under my breath in Swedish. I was such an idiot. I took a deep, calming breath and looked across the surreal galaxy themed room to where Amy, Mark, and Mikhail were talking quietly. Mark was sitting down beside Chica, looking at the wall as if he was barely listening to anything they told him. Wiishu was in another room attending to Sean. Mark and I had wanted to sit in the same room with our friend, but the Witch was being... something that rhymes with Witch. She'd closed herself off in a room adjacent to this one with Sean, muttering something about balance.

And who knew where that goth punk had slouched off to.

As if he could sense my gaze (He probably could), Mikhail turned slightly to regard me out of the corner of his eye before whispering something to Amy and walking over. I cursed again.

"Felix," He greeted in his usual overly- formal fashion, folding his hands behind him. I almost rolled my eyes.

"Old man," I said in response as I returned my eyes to Marzia. I wasn't in the mood to hold myself back at the moment. I heard him scoff, but he let it slide.

"There are some urgent matters that I must discuss with you. It is about your-"

"Raging," I cut in, "I know." I took a little satisfaction in the shocked silence from the Knight. He quickly regained his composure.

"And where did you learn that word?" He asked suspiciously. Heaving the millionth sigh that day, I peeled my eyes away from The Elite's sleeping form to face Mikhail.

"She- well. Marzia, I guess, since I already screamed her name earlier." I paused when I realized that she would probably murder me for that, if given the chance. "Anyway, Marzia mentioned it before Fell and Anti flushed us out with that earthquake. She tried to throw some plates at me, and then everything just went white. When I came out of it, I didn't have a scratch on me. Is that what that was? Raging?"

Mikhail looked impressed that I'd figured it out. "Just so, Felix. It is a rare ability, and a fortunate one in our situation. The trauma of the past few days awakened your latent talents, just as they did for Mark."

I raised my eyebrows at this. "Mark is a Rager too? I thought you said this thing was rare."

"No, Mark possesses abilities much different than yours. And you are not called a "Rager" as you put it; You are a seether, and there is much more to your talents than the episode you had with The Elite," Mikhail corrected with a scholarly air.

I looked over at Mark and Amy again. Amy was looking on sadly at Mark, who was slumped against the wall with his head in his hands while Chica attempted to wriggle her way under his arm to get to his face. I had a feeling that whatever the Knight had to tell me wasn't going to be all warm and fuzzy.

"...Fine," I said, bracing myself for the worst, "Hit me." 

(A/N)

For those of you who haven't figured it out, Jericho and the gang are in the Djinn's lair. We'll see more of that as we go on, as soon as I figure out what's gonna happen.

Ta!


	79. Chapter 81

Mark's POV:

Chica whined pitifully as she tried to nose her way to where my face was hidden behind my hands. After about half a minute, I finally relented, wrapping my arms around my warm, furry puppy and letting her smother me with kisses.

"Heyyy Chica Pica," I said softly, a slight smile on my lips, "Hey puppy, I'm okay, see? We're okay..." I pulled back a bit to meet her solemn brown eyes. I knew she was concerned for me, knew that she was somehow aware of the turmoil I was going through, and my heart squeezed with affection for my number one girl. Sometimes I swore those eyes looked almost human, just as intelligent and understanding. _'I'm such a lucky guy,'_ I thought as I ruffled her golden hair, drawing a goofy doggy grin from her. I hugged her again, drawing her up to sit in my lap and taking comfort in her close proximity. I looked back up at Amy, who watched us sadly with the same expression that Chica had.

"Okay. Let's hear it. How special am I?" I asked, trying to smile. She didn't respond at first, instead coming over and sliding down the dark, star scattered wall to sit next to me. She reached over to pet Chica on my lap, smiling when she licked her hand.

"Mark, I know you didn't ask for any of this," She said, still looking at Chica as she stroked her, "But the fact remains that you have power. Great power. And we need all the help we can get." she finally looked me in the eye.

"What you are is called an Evoker, A special human who can wield different forms of energy as weapons, healing agents, and other things. Evokers don't have any telepathic abilities, and don't have any telekinetic abilities beyond being able to manipulate the energy they control. They can't use spells or even hex bags, and they have no unusual physical powers to speak of."

"Okay," I said, trying to soak this all in. There were a lot of restrictions, and I was beginning to become even less enthused about all this than I was before. "Okay, so what CAN I do?"

"There are 7 forms of energy that you can wield:"

 _1) Fire, or Pyrokinesis:_

 _This is a form of energy that you can either manipulate from an outside source or create yourself through manipulating the temperature of things around you to create the fire. This type of energy includes any type of heat._

 _2) Electricity, or Electrokinesis_

 _This is a more concussive form of energy that must be summoned under the right conditions, such as during a thunder storm or other period of unrest in the atmosphere that fosters lightening naturally. It takes an insane amount of power to summon lightening on your own without outside influence, even more so than fire. Both of these types of energy are dangerous to summon and difficult to master, and should be used with caution._

 _3) Light, or Photokinesis_

 _Simply put, Light bending. Theoretically, one can 'bend' the light around them, magnifying it, reflecting it, or even making oneself glow from within._

 _4) Anti matter/Dark energy, Or Negakinesis_

 _This form of energy is impossible to summon on your own and must come from an outside source. The manipulation of dark energies is usually only used for defense against dark magic wielders since Evokers cannot produce it on their own._

 _5) Spirit energy_

 _This is simply drawing on one's own life force to augment the user's power. Manipulation of the Evoker's own spirit can be draining, so they will often draw upon the life force of surrounding flora and fauna to restore their power and aid them in battle._

 _6) Life Force_

 _This power is used to gain complete control over anything with a living spirit. This includes plants, animals, and even humans. Most paranormals have no soul, rendering this ability useless against them. Most Evokers refuse to use this ability on animals or humans, as it is painful and considered cruel. Because of these two restrictions, the main use of life force manipulation is agrokinesis, or the manipulation of plants._

 _7) And last but not least, Kinetic energy, Or Kinetic Manipulation._

 _The act of redirecting motion that has already been set. Evokers usually use this as a way of 'cheating' the system, utilizing the natural motions to manipulate wind or water._

Finally done with her explanation, Amy fell silent and went back to petting Chica, who had quietly listened the entire time with her big soft eyes intent on Amy as if she understood every word. When Amy was done, Chica turned her head back to me as if watching for my reaction. I didn't really have much of one.

"Huh."

Amy's eyes rose to mine, fixing me with a wry stare. "I literally just hit you with what most people would consider to be life changing information and all you have to say is... Huh," She said, trying to keep the smile off her face. I didn't fight mine, giving myself over to a grin.

"Yep. It's definitely a 'huh' moment," I said jokingly. She began smiling back at me, making my heart thump hard in my chest. _'Keep it cool Mark, keep it cool..."_ I cleared my throat, turning my head away before I had a chance to blush.

"So! You said you guys needed help, right?" I pushed Chica gently off my lap, leaping to my feet and extending a hand to Amy with all the gallantry I could muster. She took it with a laugh, signifying that I may have looked more goofy than I thought. But if she was laughing, I was okay with that.

"Then let's get started!" I declared as Chica let out a happy yap in aggreement.


	80. Chapter 82

Djinn:

A Type of paranormal who takes advantage of the deep desires of humans and elves, demanding a sacrifice in return for their services. The Djinn chooses what must be sacrificed, using the energy to grant the human's wish and consuming the excess for sustenance. Examples of sacrifices include body parts, memories, objects of emotional significance, and even years off of the victim's life. They exist in a parallel dimension of their own making and have the ability and the desire to enter our world and interact with us. Like human beings, the Djinn can be good, evil, or neutrally benevolent. The Djinn's power is limited only by what the victim is willing to sacrifice. Oddly enough, most modern day Djinn have a strange fascination for gothic culture.

2) Demons:

A malevolent race of paranormal that feeds on emotions, blood, and flesh. Their diet is mostly human based, as this is the most potent and easily accessible meal available. However, they are the only species of paranormal that can feed off of other dark creatures, and are thus the most feared of all of their kind. Unless disposed of by another Demon, they are otherwise immortal. Their creation is a mystery. Demons have evolved to feel little to no emotion, and thus have no capacity for compassion or empathy. On their own, they are apathetic at best. However, if mated with a Druid, they have been known to become somewhat subdued.

3) Druids:

A benign race of Paranormal that thrives on the positive emotions of humans, elves and elementals as well as an omnivorous diet. They do not need to feed off of other beings, but it can make them more powerful. Druids are empaths, meaning that they can impress powerful emotions onto nearby beings in order to sway their actions. Unless killed by a Demon, they are otherwise immortal. Their creation is a mystery. They are claimed by Demons as mates, doing so happily in order to subdue their violent tendencies.

4) elementals:

A race of paranormal that draws their power from either earth air, water, or fire.

Sprites, land:

Sprites have the ability to control the earth and plantlife. They can use the ground as a dissolution medium to travel.

Naiads, water:

Naiads have the ability to bend water to their will. They are the only elemental incapable of transforming themselves into their element and must stay in a fixed physical form.

Fairies, air:

Fairies are elementals that control the air. They are the only elemental incapable of taking corporeal form. They are perpetually made of compressed air.

Pixies, fire:

Pixies are fire elementals. They can draw their power from within or draw in heat from an outside source.

5) Elves:

A species of paranormal that is closely related to humans in that they have most of the same abilities and consume the same omnivorous diet. The only differences are their appearance and their level of power, as well as their vast knowledge of runes, charms, and herbal practices. They have double the lifespan of a human. There are two types:

Seelie Elves:

Like Druids, the Seelie Elves are benevolent and wish only to be left to their own devices. They live deep in forests and jungles, happy to keep their existance a secret. They are very religious, worshiping the old Pagan Gods of the earth and preaching peace and understanding above all else. for this reason, they are often called 'The Fair Folke.'

Unseelie Elves:

Theses Elves are extremely hostile, and should be avoided. They are war mongering, picking fights at every opportunity. They think the Seelie are weak and do not consider themselves the same species, despite the only difference being the color of their skin. They will often war with other tribes, cannibalizing the corpses of their enemies to supposedly gain their strength.

6) Angels:

A being That has the same power as a Demon, but is not bound to another body. They feed off of human and Elf flesh, not emotions. They are incapable of feeling emotion themselves unless they are in battle or killing. They are extremely vain and self centered creatures who travel alone, not even raising their own children. They are extremely dangerous and have never been known to show mercy in any capacity. They are known for their hatred of Demons.

7) Beasts:

'Beast' is a term used to describe any paranormal with sub-par intelligence. below are three major types:

Naga:

The only beast capable of limited speech. They feed on sexual energy and are known for their seductive prowess. They will often drain their victims dry of their life force as they consume their pleasure; the victim is often unaware of their demise until moments before death.

Beldam:

A Paranormal beast that preys on small children. It targets boys and girls who are unhappy, enticing them with their desires for a better life. Once the Beldam gains their trust, it consumes their souls and feelings of hope. Beldam are primarily female, and do not mate, rather creating their young themselves out of the mangled souls of their victims.

Wraith:

A Wraith is a beast that feeds on time. Simply put, they first consume the victim's past through their memories before eating the rest of their years, leaving their victim an ancient, wrinkled husk.

8) vampires:

A species of paranormal that feeds off of the blood of humans. They are semi-immortal, and stop aging once they reach their seventh or eighth year, remaining in the form of small children in order to lower their victim's guard. They possess supernatural strength and speed, but have no third eye abilities or penchant for magic.

9) Shifter:

A Shapeless Paranormal capable of transforming itself into different creatures. They will often pose as a wounded animal to draw sympathy from their victims before they strike. they feed on bone marrow.

10) Merfolk:

Water dwelling paranormals.

Fresh water Merfolke:

Despite their gruesome animalistic appearance, they are the most intelligent and intuitive of the paranormals. They are carnivorous and feed on humans and animals alike, but are not necessarily malevolent. They eat whatever happens to be nearby when they are hungry, but they have no problems communicating and cooperating with humans if they aren't pressed for time or food. They communicate telepathically through their emotions.

Salt water merfolk:

Benevolent species of Merfolk. They are herbivores, living off a diet of algae and and other plants found in fresh water. They cannot speak, but are extremely intelligent. They possess supernatural strength and are incredibly mobile in the water, moving up to fifty kilometers per hour.


	81. Chapter 83

Dark was quiet after I finished relaying to him what I had seen in a combination of words, emotions, and mental pictures. By the time I was done, he had virtually experienced the dream with me. I sat patiently on his lap on the bed as he held me, waiting for him to process everything I'd shown him. He stroked my arm as he lost himself in thought.

"So," He said finally, "We will just be more cautious. unfortunately, there is no charm, hex, or ward that can hold Fell back, especially if he is who you say he is. To think that there is a being that ancient..." Dark shook his head. "Incredible. He has hidden himself well."

"What happens to me if he gets to the runes? What happens if he frees himself from Felix?" I asked worriedly, leaning into Dark's chest and nuzzling up under his chin. I felt an unexpected burst of arousal from Dark at my movements.

 _'Oops.'_

Luckily, he didn't say anything. He took a deep breath and adjusted himself before replying, "He would become many times more powerful than he is now. Centuries of pent up energy would burst forth with the destructive force of an atom bomb. Even I wouldn't be able to stop him," Dark stated gravely. I could feel a maelstrom of emotions rolling off of him despite his calm facade; hatred for Fell, fear for my life, regret that he wasn't able to protect me...

I put a hand on his cheek and looked into his gleaming scarlet eyes.

"Dark. It won't happen. It will never come to that, okay? I won't let it," I said softly, sending calming waves toward him. I once again felt a twinge of attraction from him as my mind touched his. I drew back in slight annoyance.

"Jesus, do you _ever_ think about anything else? Way to ruin a moment, Dark," I said, raising an eyebrow and crossing my arms. Dark let out a cross between a growl and a chuckle.

"How can I help myself in the throes of such sweet torture?" He scooted back on the bed and turned me on his lap so that i was sitting between his legs, my back laying against his muscled chest. I groaned, already tightening in anticipation. God, why did he have to be so hot?

" How can you be surprised by my reactions to the joining of your shining spirit with my own dark soul? To your body against mine?" He purred, his breath falling hot on my ear. Dammit. He was doing it again. Nonetheless, I squirmed , pushing my thighs together to try and quell the fire between them, even though I was supremely irked as I did so.

Dark chuckled at my annoyance and snapped his magic fingers, causing our clothes to evaporate in a puff of black smoke. He Was completely naked while I was left in my bra and panties. I hissed at the feel of his skin against mine, leaning back into him as if he was a magnet. He hummed, stroking his hand over my stomach in slow circles as he raised a hand to my breast, fondling it knowingly. His mouth covered the junction of my neck and shoulder as he began licking and sipping at my feverish skin with his hot mouth, drawing a contented sigh from me. He groaned as I raised a hand behind me and tangled it in his thick hair.

"It should be no surprise. Holding you in my arms, so deliciously soft and sweet..." I gasped as he suddenly growled and tugged on my ear with his teeth. His next words stopped my heart.

 _"...It makes me want to corrupt you."_

I didn't even have time to gasp as he slid his hand roughly into the front of my panties, inserting two fingers without preamble. I cried out, clenching around his probing fingers as they slipped in easily and began to rock in and out of me as his thumb matched tempo at the top of my mons. He unhooked my bra, helping me slip it off and toss it to the side. He formed a steady rhythm, not bothering to start slow. My hips twitched involuntarily as he pushed me into an intense orgasm in mere minutes, leaving me dazed. He swiftly turned me around, sitting cross legged like he had a few days ago, wrapping my legs around him.

I gasped breathlessly as he entered me quickly, pausing to let me adjust. I caught my breath, hanging onto his shoulders and neck for all I was worth as the world spun around me in the wake of the pure bliss I'd just experienced. When I finally got my bearings, Dark gently tilted my chin up so that I was looking into his hooded eyes.

"Keep your eyes on me, Jericho," He murmured. Staring intently into my eyes, he silently brought his hands to my hips and lifted me a scant inch before letting gravity pull me back down. I resisted the urge to throw my head back in ecstasy; I could feel every single inch of him in this position as he teased my weak point with every little motion. I gasped and moaned shakily as he repeated the motion, going a little farther, a little deeper. And again.

Soon I was panting, helping the motion along by lifting myself up with the leverage I had on his shoulders. All the while, I kept my eyes on his, just as he asked. At least, I tried.

I felt them begin to drift closed as I lost myself in the intensity of feeling. Just before they shut, Dark thrusted upward sharply, sending a bolt of pleasure through me that was almost painful. My eyes flew open as I yelped, once again meeting his crimson gaze with my icy blue one as he continued to move within me even though I had lost my rhythm from the shock.

"Eyes. On. Me," He said lowly in a gruff voice. I didn't take my eyes off of him after that.

And then, it began to build.

"Oh my God," I whimpered shakily, unable to draw the breath required to even speak correctly, "Dark, _please...!"_

He laughed, low and deep, a rumbling chuckle that sent shockwaves through me.

"Hmm... I think I'll make it a point to make you beg more often," he purred in satisfaction before flipping us over so that he hovered above me.

I shattered with a hoarse scream after a few more deep strokes, jerking my head to the side as my nails dug into his back. He hissed as I drew blood without meaning to, spurring him into a tympanic rhythm that almost made me faint. He followed me over the peak about a minute later, flipping over so that I lay on top and gripping me fiercely in his arms as he lost himself to passion.

I layed there on his chest in the aftermath, panting and struggling for breath as he peppered my face and neck with sweet, abbreviated kisses. After awhile, he pulled back to gaze into my eyes.

"Sometimes I think you've corrupted me instead." 


	82. Chapter 84

"GAH!"

Mark yelped and dove to the side to avoid being slashed by the wicked thorns of one of the writhing vines that had been tormenting the poor youtuber for the past half hour.

"C'mon, c'mon..." he muttered as he ran away, snapping the fingers of his right hand in front of his face repeatedly in desperation. On his fifth try, there was a little flicker of red light on the tip of one of his fingers.

"Yes!" His eyes widened as he beamed at his success, halting unthinkingly to concentrate on the flame. He didn't see the vine shooting for his head until the last second, the spark on his hand disappearing as he was forced to avoid it.

He grunted as he lost his footing, slamming his shoulder into the floor as the leafy appendage hit the ground in a cloud of dust a couple feet short of its target. Groaning, he looked up just in time to see the vine rise above him again and rocket down towards his head. His eyes widened as he rolled aside, dodging closely enough that he felt the wind from the vine on his face. He tried to scramble to his feet.

"Ohgodohgodohgodoh- EEEK!" Another vine wrapped around his foot, yanking him into the air and dangling him upside down as he let out an embarrassingly high pitched squeek. "H-hey! Put me down, I'm getting dizzy!" Mark pleaded as he swung from side to side, looking a bit queasy. Amy grew herself out of the ground in front of him with a sigh, poking him in his dirty, sweaty forehead with the other vine as she placed a hand on her hip and pointed the other at his face.

"I'm telling you, if you want to stop getting your butt kicked, your going to have to fight me. For REAL. You're not even trying!"

"Can't you go easy on me?" Mark begged, "C'mon, it's my first time!" Mark pouted.

Amy pretended to think. "Hmm... nope." Mark cried out in surprise as he was dropped to the floor, landing in an ungraceful heap. Chica yapped happily and ran in circles around the two as if they were playing a game and she wanted to join in.

"Hey, stop laughing at me, Chica! This isn't funny, I'm dying over here!" Mark snapped, rubbing his bruised noggin. Amy raised her eyebrows.

"How can you tell she's laughing? I didn't think dogs could laugh."

Mark sniffed indignantly as he got up and brushed himself off. "Trust me. She thinks this is sooooo funny."

Chica barked and wagged her tail from a safe distance as if to agree. Mark didn't have time to berate her again before the next vine came shooting for his neck.

"AMYYYY!"

I chuckled as I watched their antics from where Dark and I sat at the edge of the room. Dark simply scoffed.

"Am I really bound to such a weakling? Shameful," he muttered to me. "Use your _head_ , boy!" He called out to Mark, who responded with an uncharacteristically foul directive that was cut short as he was forced to dodge again.

Dark and I had walked in on the training session about an hour prior after he'd explained the situation with Virgil the Djinn. I was shocked to see our friends fighting.

We were in a room about the size of the foyer of Dark's desert palace, with walls of gray stone slabs that didn't crack, no matter how hard you hit them. The palatial room was lit with large torched sconces that hung on the walls at random intervals, with a large smokeless circle of fire blazing in the center of the floor. I marveled at the fact that the flames seemed to require no fuel or tinder.

Mark and Amy were the funniest to watch, and Chica provided ample comic relief.

Felix, on the other hand...

Felix and Mikhail were absolutely terrifying to watch. Mikhail fought with his cursed daggers, while Felix duel wielded two strange looking gun-knife hybrids that I'd never seen before.

They looked like double barrel revolvers with long black knives protruding from between the barrels. Oddly enough, despite the fact that they only had six chambers like normal revolvers, they seemed to be able to shoot four times that amount before needing to be reloaded. Below each of the triggers, a saw-like blade curved inward, the point ending about one third of the way up the blade. He seemed to use these for blocking, trapping Mikhail's blade within the seraded teeth before countering with either a shot, stab, or slash. They were strange, but incredibly efficient. They suited him well.

I had cringed the first time Mikhail landed a blow on Felix before realizing that, besides a nasty bruise and a friction burn, Felix was unharmed. Mikhail had apparently put wards on the edges of the swords and bullets that essentially prevented them from drawing blood.

Felix seemed to be more in control of himself than he was in our battle with the Elites. His eyes had lost the strange brutality that had frightened me so much before. He was at least cognizant enough to toss insults back and forth between him and his foe:

"Come on old man, that all you got? Quit acting your age!"

"The sweat pouring down your brow betrays your words, boy."

"I've had better workouts playing video games!"

"Be quiet and fight before I undo these wards and shut your insolent mouth FOR you!"

It went on like that for awhile. Felix was a lot snarkier than Mark, and didn't hesitate to fight back full force. He was easily the most intense of the three, even despite having no background whatsoever in martial arts or sports. I wouldn't want to be on the other side of those guns.

Dark turned to me. "Are you ready to continue?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, sure," I said, tearing my eyes away from the spectacles. Dark and I had decided to join in the training session earlier, not wanting to be caught slacking. We needed to be at the top of our game the next time Fell and Anti struck. None of us could afford to take time off.

 _ **An hour earlier, Jericho's POV:**_

"And where is this Djinn now?" I asked as we walked along the cobblestone path through a gorgeous deep green forest.

I'd gotten used to the changes in scenery between every room and hallway. Apparently we were in Virgil's home in a pocket dimension of his own creation that he could manipulate as he liked. Dark explained that though they required sacrifices for any magic in our world, Djinn could manipulate their home however they pleased. He assured me that we were well protected from both Fell and Virgil himself; Fell had no way of knowing where the entrance to the pocket was, and Dark's power far exceeded that of the Djinn, even in their own domain. I was sceptical, but left it at that.

The path we walked had just changed again into a lively fairytale-esque nightscape

when we heard what sounded like fighting coming from beyond the foliage surrounding us. Exchanging a quick look, we immediately diverged from the path, tearing through the thick brush. It wasn't long before we came to a clearing in the trees. A gray stone wall a little over a story tall that seemed to extend forever from left to right. It made me think of the border at the edge of the map in a video game that you couldn't cross. There was a simple wooden door in the wall straight ahead that was opened slightly. The sounds of battle were coming from inside.

We burst through the door with such force we nearly knocked it off its hinges, heaving sighs of relief at the sight of our friends. Mark had cheerily waved a cheeky hello before Amy nearly clocked him with a stone projectile, giving Dark and I our first laugh of the afternoon. When we had calmed down, we went ahead and joined in the training in our own way and opted to sit to the side and train our minds instead.

For the past hour he had taught me the basics of my power. By the time we were done, I could lift him with my mind, teleport a couple feet (he called it flash stepping), and defend my own mind without having to rely on the power I got from Anjali. He also taught me a few basic magical commands and had me try them out on a shadow clone of himself with either my wand, scepter, or caduceus using the weapons at my disposal to channel the magic made it flow much smoother, making what used to take a lot of energy a piece of cake.

He was extremely pleased with our progress within a mere hour, and my chest swelled at the waves of pride I felt rolling off of him. Hearing a rude remark from Felix and a scream from Mark, we decided to take a break and enjoy the show.

 _Back to the present..._

That brought us to where we were, sitting cross legged facing each other on the edge of the room.

"Alright, what's next?" I asked excitedly, eager to learn more about myself. He had just opened his mouth to answer when he was interrupted by a third party plopping himself on the ground beside us.

Startled, I looked over at the newcomer in puzzlement, taking in his purple hair and gothic getup.

"How's the Druid's training coming along? I could feel her energy all the way from the other side of the castle," the strange boy said to Dark while looking at me. I glanced at Dark quizzically, sending a mental query through our connection.

Dark didn't seem worried. He gestured to the purple haired boy. "Jericho, meet our host; Virgil Sanders, the Djinn."

"We didn't meet before, seeing as you were kinda out for the count," said Virgil in a flat tone with a subdued half smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. What a gloomy person...

"Oh yeah, Dark told me about you. Thanks for everything, Virgil. We really owe you," I said gratefully, extending my hand in greeting. He didn't take the prompt, ignoring my hand. He lazily raised an eyebrow at my expression of gratitude.

"No, you don't. That's the point of a Djinn's power, sweety; you pay in advance," he informed me dryly. Scowling, I dropped my hand.

"You must be fun at parties," I replied snarkily. Dark chuckled as the Djinn began picking at the nails on one hand boredly.

"Not really my scene. Anyway, enough with the pleasantries," he said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers together. I resisted the urge to tell him that He was a far cry from pleasant.

"There's a reason I helped you, and a reason I brought you all here," he said, looking away to glance back at the four combatants locked in battle.

"And that would be...?" Dark prompted. Virgil raised his mournful eyes to the sky in a melodramatic display of mock distress.

" _Boredom_. I'm so bored these days! Djinn have about a five century life span, but it only takes one of those to see all there is to see.

"It's the same, day in, day out. everyone wants the same old things; money, wealth, power, love, etcetera. I'm in the doldrums here. It's been _three hundred years_ of _limbo_!" He glumly lamented, "I need some excitement before I go stir crazy! And this," he said, gesturing to me and Dark, is my idea of a party. You're _different_. You're _interesting_. You're the talk of the Paranormal world right now. All _I_ want is a front row seat."

"So!" He leaned back on his hands, smirking, "let me tag along, and I'll help with training. I'll even use my power reserves that I've stored excess energy in, so you won't have to sacrifice anything unless something huge comes along. Unless three or four of you get ganked by cursed blades all at once, it shouldn't be a problem like last time."

To my surprise, Dark waved a dismissive hand. "I have no complaints; I've already searched your mind."

The Djinn drew back in shock. "What?! But... But I didn't even feel you!" He sputtered, finally showing some emotion other than the moody, 'I'm dead inside' gothic act. Dark simply smirked as Virgil pulled himself together. The purple Paranormal sniffed indignantly.

"Fine. It's for the best, I suppose. Deal?" He asked, not bothering to initiate a handshake.

"Fine. Now, if you don't mind, we have work to do," said Dark in a dismissive tone as he turned back to me.

"Actually, that's why I came. The thing is-"

He froze as a frightening wolf-like howl sounded, long and loud like a warning siren. We all turned to see...

 _What the hell..._


	83. Chapter 85

Felix's POV an hour prior:

"What are those?" I asked curiously as Mikhail led me to the edge of the huge stone room that Virgil had directed us to and drew two weird looking knives (or daggers I guess) out of a big, ancient-looking leather bag. He didn't answer, wordlessly holding the wickedly sharp weapons out to me. My eyebrows shot up.

"Wait. Are those _mine_? Are you giving them to me?" I asked in surprise, admiring the way the dark blades caught the torchlight. Mikhail sighed.

"Yes. Now hurry and take the bloody things so I can show you how to use them!" He said gruffly. As I relieved him of the daggers, I wondered if he was giving me these because I fought with his own twin blades so well. Mikhail began to lecture me yet again, but I tried to pay attention this time; this was definitely going to be important.

"One of the greatest advantages a Seether possesses in battle is the almost supernatural ability to adapt quickly to whatever weapon is at their disposal, whether it be their own body, a projectile weapon, or a blade. Because of this, Seethers were known to carry multiple weapons. The last Seether's favored combination was a crossbow, a sword staff, chakram, and throwing knives."

"The last one?" I asked, suddenly curious, "How long ago _was_ this?"

"Nearly three hundred years ago," Mikhail answered curtly. Woah.

' _Huh_. S _eethers must be rare.'_

"Yes, he was a member of the chinese resistance branch who went by the name Nobunaga. In any case, he, like any of his kind, was famous for being dead eye with projectiles. However, he lived too long ago for hid abilities to have ever been tested with a gun like the ones your holding," He said, gesturing to the weapons. I looked at the daggers in confusion. Guns?

I looked closer and realized that the blades I was holding were _so_ much cooler than I had thought at first glance. What I'd assumed were just handles were actually pistol grips. The gun portion of the weapons looked just like a six cylinder revolver, but with double barrels approximately six inches in length. The butt of the guns had a deeply serated blade attached to them that curved sharply inward towards the main dagger between the barrels in a way that reminded me of the energy swords in Halo.

I couldn't have stopped my grin if I tried. These were _wicked!_

"I know. They are quite extraordinary, aren't they?" Mikhail said with a small smile as I got acquainted with my babies. _'Maybe I should name them.'_ I looked at him, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Can I try them out? Like, right now?" I asked excitedly, feeling like a kid on Christmas. Mikhail nodded, crouching down to rustle around in his leather bag. He brought out a small cloth pouch and reached into it, beckoning me closer to look at the contents he pulled out. He had several small bouncy balls of various colors in his hand, the kind you got from chucky cheeses or from a machine at the front of a supermarket. I raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't peg you as someone who played with their balls, Micky. Aren't you a little old for things like this?" I quipped. I had to hold back a laugh at the old man's scowl. I couldn't help myself, he was just too much fun to tease!

"These aren't for recreation, you insufferable buffoon! These are for _target practice."_ He ground out through gritted teeth.

"What? What do you mean, _target practice?!_ Are you expecting me to be able to _hit_ those?" I exclaimed incredulously. I balked at Mikhail's nod. "But they're way too small!"

"You've done it before in the Elite's cell," He reminded me.

"I was practically unconscious then! And those plate shards were bigger than those," I pointed sharply at his hand.

"Just head about fifty feet in that direction. Behave, or I'll take them back," Mikhail threatened. I grudgingly did as he asked. He just wanted me to make a fool of myself, didn't he? More of those balls would land on my face than on my daggers. I saw Mark and Amy enter the room, talking and laughing as Chica trotted along behind them. I turned to say hello when something small and hard hit my cheek, leaving a painful sting in its wake. I growled in disgruntlement when I saw a bright red rubber ball bouncing happily away from me. I glared at the old Knight.

"Really? Is this how you wanna play it, old man?" I snapped angrily. Mikhail flashed me one of his rare grins.

"You're the one treating this like a game, . If you take this seriously, I will too," He said in a chiding tone before growing serious once more.

"Now, look at the ball in my hand."

I did as he asked, not wanting to get hit again. I heard a scuffle, a yelp and a bark somewhere off to the side, but ignored it, my eyes intent on Mikhail as he continued to speak.

"Focus on it until it's the only thing you see. Breathe deeply and relax your mind. Think about nothing else but the object in my hand," He instructed calmly. I followed his directive, staring intently at the bright yellow and black ball.

"Now, Felix. Raise your weapons."

I spread my feet and crouched a bit, sort of like I'd seen Goku do on Dragon Ball Z. I extended my weapons slightly from my sides, my right blade aimed like I was going to shoot while my left one hovered in front of me, ready to block. If this was gonna happen, I wasn't about to half-ass it.

"Focus on keeping your wits about you, boy. You are in control. Make certain that your mind remains your own this time." I nodded; I knew what he was talking about. In fact, I could already feel that dangerous tingle in the back of my mind just from the sheer anticipation. Without warning, Mikhail's arm blurred as he sent the ball soaring towards me.

It was happening again. My body tightened. Sounds and colors became a hundred times sharper as time slowed to a crawl. I struggled to remain conscious, focusing on the ball instead of the danger of being struck. Without thinking, I raised my right hand and reflexively pulled the trigger with a bang that sounded muffled, as if my brain had canceled out any noise that it thought wasn't important. I saw the ball explode into tiny pieces from twenty feet away, the remnants falling to the floor.

There were more after that, one after the other in quick succession. They grew in number, flying at me in twos, then in groups of three and four. It was odd being conscious for the ordeal; My eyes zeroed in on the projectiles nearest me, judging the situation quickly while my hand aimed and shot in automatic mechanical motions that neutralized the threats in the most efficient way possible. It took all of my concentration yet felt strangely natural at the same time, as if I'd been fighting with these weapons my entire life. The adrenaline that screamed through my veins was addicting, and I found myself wanting more.

There was a flash of black to my right that I just barely caught before I raised the dagger on that side, reflexively deflecting a blow aimed towards my neck. Mikhail. How did he get there so quickly? Did he use the projectiles as a distraction? I was so shocked and confused that I nearly lost my concentration.

"I'm impressed," Mikhail said, keeping his dagger locked with my own weapon. He was only using one hand, but I somehow found myself having to turn and raise my other blade as well to keep the sharp edge away from my neck. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I gritted my teeth. Jesus, why was he so damn _strong?!_ He smirked as if he could read my thoughts.

"Are you surprised, Felix?" He put more force behind his dagger, making me grunt as I was forced to lean backwards slightly. "You'd do well to remember that you're forty years too early to best me, boy. Every day of my sixty two years has been a battle; I was a warrior the moment I emerged from the womb."

He suddenly swung his other dagger towards my stomach, making me bend to avoid it. The moment I moved, he swept his foot underneath me, shoving me backwards with the hand that was locked in my blades at the same time so that I fell flat on my back with a grunt. The rage state faded as I struggled to get my bearings. I didn't move quick enough. Not even a second after I hit the ground, there he was, crouched beside me with his blade pressed to my throat.

"This will be the last time you underestimate me because of my age. Do we understand each other?" He said stonily. I couldn't do much more than glare up at him and nod slowly as I tried to catch my breath.

Finally, he rose and offered me a hand up. I ignored it, pushing myself up off the ground. My foe backed up and assumed a well balanced fighting stance, prompting me to do the same. There was no way in hell I was going to let him best me again.

"Now that we know exactly where we stand..." Mikhail's eyes gleamed in anticipation, "Let's really begin. Prepare yourself!"

 _ **Mark's POV:**_

Amy, Chica and I entered a huge room about the size of a football field that kinda looked like a dungeon, with stone walls and torches and everything. I grinned when I saw Felix on the far side of the room with Mikhail. I was about to run over to him when he was suddenly clocked in the cheek with a small yellow projectile that bounced away across the floor when it fell. Felix turned to glare at Mikhail, saying something I couldn't hear. Knowing Felix, it was probably an insult, a threat, or a sarcastic remark. Amy put her hand on my shoulder to get my attention. she grinned.

"I think those two have business of their own right now, and there's no way I'm letting you get in the middle of that," She chuckled as she led me to a far corner of the room, "Here, I have something-"

 _ **POP!**_

It sounded like a firecracker had gone off, the deafening boom echoing off the tall stone walls. Felix was holding up what looked like an oddly shaped dagger, aiming it like a gun. The booms began coming in quick succession, forcing me to clap my hands over my ears. I saw Amy snap her fingers, and the sound was suddenly gone.

"I activated a sound charm," She said, holding up her Shirt a little to show me a small silver trinket attached to the top of her pants, "I figured we'd need it, seeing as Mickhail's too inconsiderate to think of it." With that, she continued to lead me over to our own space, far away from their battle.

"So you said you were going to show me something about my powers?" I asked. She grinned.

"Yep! This'll be fun, trust me. You're gonna learn how to channel energy!" She said, her bubbly tone conveying her enthusiasm. I whooped as I got just as pumped as she was.

"Yes! Finally! How we do?" I transitioned into internet speak in my excitement. My eagerness faded as a strange mischievous gleam appeared in her brown eyes. I began to feel a bit uneasy at that sly look.

"Uhhh... Amy?" I asked timidly. She raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Ever heard that saying about how diamonds are formed under pressure?" She asked. The earth split apart at her feet as two huge, thorny vines abruptly shot out of the ground, swaying back and forth as if they were alive. I gulped and began backing away slowly.

 _'I have the worst luck with girls.'_

An hour later, I was gasping for breath, more sweaty than I'd ever been in my life and covered from head to toe in dirt and more than a few scrapes and bruises. I cursed at Dark when he shouted something about using my head. Dammit! I was trying, I really was! I had even managed to get a couple sparks going, reaching for that power I'd experienced when Wiishu and Amy took me to 'meditate.' If I could just get a second to concentrate...!

I suddenly felt an intense tingle at the back of my neck that made me reflexively whirl around. My chest clenched. One of Felix's gun knives had been knocked out of his hand and into the air, flying up and across the room.

 _ **And it was headed straight for Chica.**_

"CHICA, NO!" I screamed, bolting towards my girl as fast as I could as she cocked her head and stared at me in confusion, wondering why I was yelling at her. Chica was still looking at me and Amy; she had no idea of the danger that was approaching her from behind. Oh God, I wasn't gonna make it!

I let out a hoarse scream of desperation, flinging my hand out to reach for her. There was a blinding flash of blue light that obscured my vision, but I kept running through it. The only thought in my panicked mind was that my best friend was in danger.

Suddenly, I was on the ground with my arms wrapped around her. The light got so intensely bright that I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut. Was someone calling my name?

I lost all coherent thought as my mind splintered into a million pieces.

 _ **Jericho's POV:**_

The three of us froze as a blood curdling scream echoed through the room, followed by a frightening wolf-like howl that sounded long and loud. We all turned to see...

 _What the hell..._

Mark was crouched on the ground beside Chica with his arms wrapped defensively around her. They were surrounded by a wide, glass-like dome of wavering blue light about ten feet in diameter. Both of their forms were glowing brightly with the same azure hue.

Everyone in the room stopped and stared as Mark and Chica slowly stood. My heart stopped when I caught a glimpse of their faces. Each one wore an almost dead panned expression on their glowing faces as they stared straight ahead, still as statues. Their eyes were a solid shining white.

"Mark!" I heard Amy yell. She ran to him, banging her hands on the force field that surrounded the two. She whirled to face Mikhail, who was also approaching the dome. "Mikhail! What's going on, what's happening to him?!" She demanded.

Mikhail didn't have time to answer before the dome suddenly disappeared, the blue light that Mark and his dog emitted going with it. We rushed over as they both collapsed, Dark checking for physical and mental injuries.

"I think this training session is over," Sighed Mikhail.


	84. Chapter 86

Wiishu's POV:

I sat criss cross applesauce on the bed beside Sean, resting my chin in my hand. I stared glumly at his boyish face, relaxed in sleep with his lips parted ever so slightly. His head rested to the side, causing his green hair to fall into his eyes. I had to admit, he looked pretty adorable; in any other situation, I probably would have thought it was funny. But there was nothing even remotely amusing about Sean's current state, no matter how cute he looked. I began gnawing on my little finger anxiously as I stared worridly at my friend who I hoped would become more than a friend. Guilt sat heavily on my chest as I remembered how it happened, and the blows I couldn't block.

I exhaled roughly, running a hand through the strawberry blonde hair I took so much pride in. I had to pull it together; Sean wouldn't accept any apologies when he woke up, so I wouldn't make any. What's done is done. All that was left for me to do now was make the best of it. Sulking wouldn't help.

"Mmph..." Sean's brow furrowed a bit as he groaned softly. I immediately put my hand on his. As his blue eyes finally fluttered open. "Wha...?" He murmured groggily as he tried to look around. I patted his green head as I smiled down at the dazed boy.

"Did you have a good nap, Irish?" I asked softly when he became aware of my presence. I was relieved beyond measure when he smiled up at me. He was okay.

Everything was gonna be okay.

Sean's POV:

"NO! GOD DAMMIT ANTI DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!" I screamed, pulling against my restraints with all of my might. I was shackled to a stone wall in a cramped medieval looking dungeon that Anti created in my own mind to hold me. Apparently he felt the need to make it completely clear who was in control here. Melodramatic bastard.

My hands were thickly chained together and attached to the wall by a four foot chain. My feet were shackled in a similar fashion. Whenever I tried to stand, I ended up falling on my face.

Which is exactly what happened when I tried to jerk myself towards the rusty grated opening on the other side of the room not six feet away.

I grunted and pushed myself up off the cold stone floor, hating the fact that even though this was all in my head, I could still feel the bloody scrapes on my knees. I sagged against the wall, unable to do anything but listen in horror and disgust as Anti spoke through MY mouth, helpless against the brief mental images that slipped through my prison as he controlled MY body. I willed Wiishu to take a closer look. She HAD to know that it wasn't me she was hugging. It wasn't me that she was smiling warmly at. It wasn't me she was touching!

But she didn't look.

She didn't know.

I could see now why they called him the snake.

I ripped my stricken gaze away from the barred window, hanging my head in defeat as Wiishu led the imposter towards the others to tell them the good news, talking and laughing with him the entire way. Why did things have to end up like this?

Why did Anti have to be bound to ME?

Jericho's POV:

Dark and Mikhail laid Mark and Chica out on the beds that Virgil had conjured in the stone room. The rest of us gathered around, looking over their unconscious forms anxiously. The air in the room was thick with tension as they examined the two sleeping figures, Dark taking Chica and Mikhail taking Mark. The two elders each placed two fingers on their patient's forehead. A beat pased before they both yanked their hands back suddenly, shooting each other looks of shock.

"Did you feel what I felt?" Dark asked slowly, letting out an incredulous huff of air when Mikhail gave a single stiff nod. Amy grabbed the old Knight's shoulder.

"What? What is it what happened to them?" She demanded.

"Please tell me they're going to be okay," Felix said, looking stricken. I felt a pang of sympathy for the Swede; the regret and guilt he felt for almost accidentally killing Chica was clearly visible on his face. My attention was drawn back to Mikhail as he answered Amy's frantic questioning.

"The minds of Mark and his dog have been..." he struggled to find the words, "simply put, a link has formed between the two. A powerful one. In all my years I have never heard tell of a human linking minds with an animal but to feed on their energy. This is quite extraordinary," he said, his tone turning thoughtful as he looked over the sleeping pair once more.

"A link? What's that supposed to mean?" Felix asked in confusion.

"A mind link is a psychic connection between two individuals. We use weak and impermanent links to send messages silently to one another. But if a link is powerful enough," Dark gestured between Mark and his dog, "It can allow the two parties to essentially become one being that is split between two vessels. Bonds like these are rare and permanent. Yet another impossible thing."

"Wait, what? Are you saying that Mark is literally going to be half dog from now on?" I asked incredulously. Mikhail raised a placating hand and shook his head.

"Not to worry. It can be turned on and off," he informed us, drawing out a collective sigh of relief, "but the two of them will simply be more aware of each other in terms of thoughts, feelings, and even their proximity to one another. They can ignite the link fully if they so choose, but it doesn't always have to be that way."

We all turned at the sound of Mark's groan. He sat up slowly with Amy's help, clutching his head. I went over and petted Chica as she whined along with Mark.

"Easy. Sit up slowly."

"Ugh... You don't have to tell me twice..." Mark groaned weakly. He looked at Chica on the bed beside him and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God," he sighed.

"Do these belong to You?" Came Virgil's voice from across the room. He pointed his thumb towards the door where the Elite, Marzia, was standing, mask off, looking nervous. I was delighted to see Sean and Wiishu behind her.

"Uhm... hello," said the armored girl awkwardly.


	85. Chapter 87

Pompeii, Rome, 79 AD:

I ambled leisurely through the market place, taking my time surveying the odds and ends of each spread, chuckling occasionally at the phoney magical gimics that I came across. It never ceased to amuse me, the way humans clumsily fumbled around in the occult like proud toddlers trying to show their mommies how much they knew. Every mystic in every supposedly sacred temple boasted that they were the one true religion, that they alone held the cure-all for a happy life and afterlife.

Please.

A new religion pops up every couple hundred years. There's always some higher form of enlightenment, some ridiculous new doctrine that humans flocked to because it happened to be more convenient than the last fad. I knew the truth, though. The unchanging truth that the concept of good and evil is unreliable, flexible, impermanent.

There is only power and the pursuit of power. There is only desire and the means to pursue it. THAT was my religion. I would be my own higher power, my own judge. I would be a God in my own right. I hadn't survived nine hundred years for nothing.

 _'That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the fruits of the fool's labour, though,'_ I grinned to myself as I veered off towards an Athenian temple, 'I might as well get a meal out of it.'

I straightened my toga's shoulder fastening and entered, whistling a merry tune.

I exited the temple an hour later from a hole I blew in the back, licking the blood off my hands with relish. Now THAT was what I called entertainment! Granted, I didn't HAVE to go overboard and slaughter every single worm in the place, but it wasn't like I needed to lay low now; I was leaving Pompeii today anyway. The regiment was investigating the trail of bodies I'd left all the way from Greece, and I was having too much fun to stop and deal with those pests again.

I was about a mile away when I heard the hysterical cries of whichever poor sap walked in on the little mess I'd made. I grinned as the screams multiplied and flowed into the crowded streets as word of the slaughter spread like wildfire. The euphonious chorus of terror that rung from every street was sweet, sweet music to my ears.

I knew that they would be scrubbing the carnage and bloodstains off of every floor, wall, and ceiling for days. Grieving over their lost loved ones for weeks. Mourning the desecration of their temple for many months. I knew they would search diligently for the perpetrators for years. I knew that they would tell stories of this day's tradgedy for decades, perhaps even have a day of the year to commemorate their casualties. They would live in fear of the unknown for the next century at least. I almost purred at the thought. These past couple weeks had been fun, even before the finale. Maybe I would return one day.

I decided to head to the bay of Naples a few kilometers away. Perhaps I could commandeer a vessel and head for fresh prey overseas, away from the pests. I turned my sights towards the east where the majestic mount Vesuvius loomed over the countryside beside the bay and the city. If there was anything I'd miss, it would be the fantastic view; there was truly nothing like it.

A quarter of an hour later, I was a fair way into the outskirts of Pompeii, the wails and laments of the distraught citizens all but faded into the peaceful atmosphere of the greenly and open fields.

I felt the earth shake before I heard the impact.

There was a concussive explosion to the east that was like thunder in my ear. The shockwave that rumbled through the earth and air was enormously powerful, leaving me unsteady on my feet and setting my ears to ringing. I hissed and whirled around, freezing when I saw the titanic black cloud that was punching its way up into the atmosphere over Mount Vesuvius not a half hour's stroll from my location. My eyes widened. Ash. It was ash.

The mountain was a volcano.

I watched in awe as the dark plume of toxic smoke pulsed through the pure blue sky, reducing the sun's natural fiery color to a week gray glow and smothering the earth below in rapidly growing darkness. molten slag spewed from the newly formed crater at the peak of the mountain and trickled down the rocky slopes like blood from a wound. The rivers of lava didn't have the chance to reach the mountain's base before they were obscured by the black mass of ash and soot that was storming down the mountain at top speed. Violent bouts of lightening scythed through the maelstrom, their exclamations echoing across the planes where I now stood.

I shook off myself out of my awestruck daze and dissolved into shadows, shooting up high into the air just seconds before the tempestuous mass reached me. I looked back down as I flew higher and higher. The grassy fields were set alight in a blaze that lasted only a moment before the fires ate up their fuel, the trees reduced to ashen skeletons of dead wood in their wake. The fleeing fauna were caught up in the storm as they futil

And then came the screams.

To any other being, they would have been horrifying. But to a demon, the waves terror that I could feel pulsing up from the city were delicious, as surprising as the circumstances that brought them about were. It was truly a marvel, one that I was happy to have had the chance to see.

The screams of stark terror faded as the toxic cloud of volcanic ash devoured the city, moving impossibly fast. Two thousand lives were snuffed out in one glorious blink of an eye like candles in the wind, each one so quick that it was almost painless. Most of them only had a second to feel the three hundred degrees scorch their sensitive human skin before they were engulfed by the blackness completely, asphyxiating as the scourge forced its way down their mouths and throats, filling their lungs with superheated ash.

My mind bounced back and forth between the victims of the mountain's rage as I tried to soak in every second of the show as best I could. Those on the farthest outskirts of the broken city were the most fun to watch; they took the longest to die, one hapless man choking and burning for an unbelievable fifty seconds before he expired.

The volcano exploded yet again in an eruption so massive that I had to move even farther into the sky to avoid mount Vesuvius's menace. From here, I could see the city Herculaneum in the distance; I knew that this second wrathful surge would claim that city as well. I mourned that I wouldn't be able to see it.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye caused me to turn my currently Incorporeal head away from the wreckage and back to Vesuvius. I stared in bemusement at the shapeless writhing mass of gold and black hovering off to the side of the mount a couple kilometers away. If not for the color, I would have mistaken it for an offshoot of the black column. I tentatively reached out with a psychic strand and ever so slightly-

Both my mind and body were suddenly struck with a stark shock of pain that was so intense I almost reformed and dropped to the burning earth. I mentally retreated, yanking myself away from what I now knew wasn't smoke at all.

It was another Demon. A powerful one.

I barely managed to stay in the air, struggling to pull myself together as the mass of gilded darkness began shooting in my direction, straightening and flying through the air as smoothly as an eel would through the ocean. I didn't have many options, and the few I had all ended in my death. I could tell he was old, much older than me. If I fled, he'd catch me. If I fought, he'd kill me. I briefly considered flinging myself into the inferno below just to avoid him.

In the end, I ended up staying where I was, frozen in indecision. When the unknown Demon finally reached me, his aura veered off to the side at the last second and swept around me, blowing past me and continuing on its course. A single word washed through my mind:

'Come.'

It was an order, the first I'd ever been given in my four hundred and thirteen years. The dark tone had a frightening air of absolute authority that told me he was fully capable of enforcing his command if I dared to ignore it.

I followed.

We flew silently along the gulf of Naples for hours. The toxic cloud traveled beneath us, so we stopped when it did, clearing it by a dozen kilometers before touching down. When our journey came to an end, we were had passed the decimated cities of Oplontis and Herculaneum, devoid or soon to be devoid of life.

We touched down in a barley field. The golden and black mass that was my guide for the past five hours burned a clearing in the tall stalks about six meters in diameter and hovered patiently before me in the center of it, completely silent and as still as a dark vapor could be. I had a feeling he was waiting for me to do something.

I quickly revealed myself before I had the chance to lose my nerve, solidifying and dropping to the ground as my own dark emerald aura faded away. I made sure that I was wearing my armor as well, just in case. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and resisted the urge to attack when I felt a wave of amusement roll off of the other Demon. The voice that had bid me follow before spoke in my mind again:

'Cute. But you aren't doing yourself any favors here, Antioch.'

I stiffened in shock upon hearing my name, feeling suddenly as if my spine were encased in solid ice. I buried my apprehension beneath a cool facade of indifference before answering.

"And you are?" I asked calmly.

'Someone you shouldn't speak to in such an insolent tone,' the voice reprimanded sharply, the power behind the words pulsing through the air, 'Know your place, boy. You only get one warning.'

I clenched my fists and didn't respond, not bothering to hide my anger as I waited for him to speak again. He had yet to reform, opting instead to circle leisurely around me at an arm's length as if sizing me up. I kept my gaze forward, glowering at the barley stalks across from me as he repeated his cycle twice more before stopping in front of me and backing up a bit.

'Did you enjoy the show?' The gold Demon inquired conversationally. I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," I responded curtly, wondering where he was going with this.

'And?'

"And what?" I snapped, unable to hide my irritation at his lackadaisical tone and the triviality of the conversation. Why wouldn't he just get to the damned point?!

'And... what did you think?' He adopted a teasing tone, as if he knew how irked I was, 'Give me your honest opinion; I LOVE feedback.'

It took a second for his last words to sink in. This time, I wasn't able to hide the stark terror that clutched coldly at my heart. He couldn't possibly be insinuating...

"That... was you? How is that... that isnt..." I countered shakily, too petrified to give a damn how pathetic I sounded. The figure before me finally began to take shape as a humorless laugh rang through my head, the sound raking across the inside of my skull.

'That isn't... what? That isn't possible?' Mocked the half formed Demon, "Cast out everything you think you know about the borders of possibility, Antioch. Those laws hold no sway over me."

The being that stood before me amidst the fading mist of his shadow cloak was not what I expected.

His face was soft and childish, with delicate cheek bones and a mouth that lilted towards a crooked smile. He looked no more than a boy, though I knew that if he gained autonomy from his host, his body had to be at least nineteen or twenty. His eyes, a bright gold that matched his aura, unsettled me; they were a predator's eyes, sharp and keen and slotted like a snake. They were fathomless and cold, and I knew there was a long history of blood behind that piercing gaze. He cocked his head, his mouth twisting into a cold grin that didn't sit well with his innocent looking face.

"I just broke free a couple days ago," he explained as if he knew my thoughts. I cleared my throat.

"Tell me how you know me. Please," I added as his slitted eyes narrowed.

"When I emerged half a year ago, I already had a score to settle with the vermin in the light- the shield, or whatever those rats are calling themselves at the moment. There were a certain few operatives that were responsible for my death that I immediately began to pursue, only to discover that they were already tracking someone else- you.

"In following my killers, I was effectively following you," he said, beginning to circle me again, "Everywhere I went, I heard tell of a green devil on a bloody warpath through Europa. Every city that you visited whispered fantastic tales of your exploits, and I must say, I am VERY impressed with your accomplishments." He completed his circle, stopping in front of me and crossing his arms with a finger to his chin.

"Tell me, is it true what you did in Alexandria?"

I blinked. "With that library in Egypt? Yes, it's true."

He barked out a delighted laugh and clapped his hands together in glee. "Brilliant! Ah, that will go down in history, I'm sure of it!" He wiped tears of mirth from the corner of his eyes. Oddly enough, even in laughter his eyes seemed dead.

"So why destroy three cities?" I questioned. He had the power, sure, but he didn't go around doing that every day, or I'd have heard about it. His serpentine eyes flicked to mine.

"My targets were in that area. I didn't know their exact location, so..." He shrugged, leaving the obvious unsaid. He decimated that large of an area because he was too lazy to hunt for his prey. To have that kind of power...

THIS was the thing I dreamed of being, the level that I hoped to reach one day. He was everything I wanted to be, and more. He hadn't killed me yet; he could be a powerful ally, if I played my cards right.

"And what does one so mighty want to do with me?" I asked slowly. He smirked.

"You have potential. You're rough around the edges, but the talent is there. Did you know that the Regiment calls you The Snake for how often you've thrown them off your trail, trapped them, and fooled them? You've beat them at their own game a commendable number of times. We have much to learn from each other."

I thought he was going to say more, but with that final statement, he dissolved into shadow and began flitting away through the field. I blinked once, twice. What was that about?

'Are you coming, Antioch?' His voice rolled through my mind again, startling me. I blinked a third and fourth time before following once again. As I flew behind him, I realized he'd never told me his name. The answer came unbidden not a moment after the thought flashed through my head.

'Call me Baya 'iikh.'


	86. Chapter 88

We all stared at the lovely dark haired girl in the doorway, forgetting momentarily about the situation at hand in our surprise. Chica let out a confused whining growl, unsure if she should be on edge or not. Mikhail was the first to break the tension, clearing his throat.

"Ah, Agent Marzia. Good of you to join us," he greeted her. Marzia stiffened, slowly turning her darkening gaze on Felix, who was suddenly very interested in the wall to his right.

"You told them my name... without my permission?" She ground out, hands twitching at her sides as she glowered at him like she wanted to wrap them around his neck. There was a collective wince from the entire group save Mikhaill and Dark at her murderous glare. Felix met her eyes cooly, unperturbed by her hostility.

"It slipped out. You were on the ground, on the brink of death, and I screamed; I can't help that your name was the first thing that came to mind," he stated simply. Marzia's frown deepened despite her slight blush. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered something under her breath.

Felix cocked his head. "What?"

"I said that I don't need your help or pity, boy," she spat, raising her voice, "Let me be perfectly clear; keep yourself well away from me, for your own safety. I have had enough of your petty games. I will be departing as soon as I am healed fully, and until then, we will stay out of each other's way, yes?"

Marzia shook her head. "I don't know why I bothered to seek you people out," she muttered.

With that, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, pushing her way past Sean and Wiishu and leaving behind a dumbstruck Felix. His usually suave and confident expression crumpled a little before he composed himself. The pain of her rejection was still shimmering in his eyes, though.

None of us moved or said anything except for Mikhail, who stood beside Felix and placed a hand on his shoulder without looking at him.

This time, it was Wiishu's turn to shatter the ice in the air. "In other news, LOOK WHO'S AWAKE!" she crowed happily as she bounded over, towing Sean along with her as he struggled to keep up.

"Heeeey buddy! Glad to see you're not as green as your hair anymore!" Mark grinned, his statement seconded by a bark.

"Or as red as his," Felix cut in, "C'mere, you ridiculous leprechaun." Felix pulled Sean into what could only be described as a vicious hug, clapping a hand on his back. Sean winced and grimaced.

"Ow! Hey, hey, don't damage the merchandise, man!" He wheezed as Felix pulled away.

"Oops."

"Wait ..." Sean said slowly, pointing to where Mark and Chica still laid on the beds as if just noticing their position, "What happened to you two? What did I miss?"

"Quite a bit," Mikhail and Dark said in unison as the rest of us choruses, "A lot."

"Arf!"

Ten minutes later, everyone was up to speed on everything. Virgil was introduced to both Sean and Miishu before he once again slunk off to sit in the corner of the room and watch. Virgil didn't seem to like the green haired boy much- and that's saying something, seeing as I didn't think Virgil _really_ liked any of us. He kept shooting odd glances in Sean's direction from across the room when he thought no one was looking. I shrugged it off, resolving to ask the Djinn about it later.

Sean let out a loud guffaw when we told him about Mark and Chica's mysterious link.

"Ha! Oh man, the fan base would be going batshit if they knew," He said as he wiped tears of hilarity from the corner of one of his eyes. Those of us who were familiar with the internet cringed at the reminder of the very... _unusual_ kink that some of Mark's crazier fans seemed to have.

"Ewwwwww, that's groooooooss," Mark whined as he hugged his Golden Retriever to him like an over sized teddy bear, "Why'd you have to bring that uuuuup?"

"What are they babbling about?" Dark whispered to me. I snorted softly.

"You really don't want to know," I assured him.

"Why doesn't anybody sexualize Edgar?" Felix pouted, "Pugs are sexy too!"

"Not sexy enough for anyone to want to write about his flabby black butt!" Mark retorted.

The rest of us laughed as they went back and forth about who's dog was better fanfic material. I was shocked to see Virgil laughing as well across the room. I didn't think the dour goth _could_ laugh.

"Wait. Virgil, do you watch Mark's videos?" I asked, causing everyone to turn and look at the Djinn. His smile dropped immediately.

"...What?" He snapped defensively, "Djinns can't get on the internet too?" Despite his tone, he looked sheepish.

"Awwww, he's a fan!" Teased Sean, earning a glare from the purple Paranormal.

It went on like that for awhile. It felt so good to talk and laugh and poke fun at each other

Both Mikhail and Dark had attempted to sneak off at separate points in the conversation, uninterested in our banter. I stopped Dark with a mental flick on the nose and a, _'Don't be rude,'_ when he started leaving. He growled under his breath but stayed, looking bored.

Mikhail silently started to move towards the door a couple minutes later when Wiishu snagged his pantsleg from her place on the floor beside Sean and I. Mikhail began to fall, but landed in a graceful somersault and sprang to his feet, turning to glare at Wiishu as we all muffled our giggles. Well, all except for Felix, who roared with laughter.

"What?" Snapped Mikhail as he pinned the witch with a death glare. Wiishu swallowed the rest of her laughter and managed to give him a pleading look through her grin.

"Where are you going? Come on, stay!" Wiishu begged, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. The group seconded her, making Mikhail shift uncomfortably, unused to the positive attention.

"...My apologies," He said finally, once again taking a seat on the bottom edge of the bed that Chica had occupied earlier, looking down at us on the floor. "I have acquired many skills in my life, but socialization is not one of them."

Wiishu's smile dropped as she suddenly looked guilty for some reason. The friendly banter started up again before I had a chance to ask her what was wrong, but I couldn't help but wonder...

Marzia's POV:

I sat against the cold stone wall just outside the dojo, my knees pulled to my chest and my chin resting on my hands. I could hear every word from the slight crack in the door as they teased each other.

I had an uncomfortable knot in my throat that wouldn't go away, and my chest clenched painfully every time they were overcome with laughter. My fists tightened, my leather gloves stretching across my knuckles.

Why couldn't I have that? Why couldn't I have people to laugh and smile with, to share myself with? Not that I had anything worthwhile to share, or any reason to laugh or smile in the first place. I felt something in my eye and reached up to swipe at the disturbance. The finger of my black glove came back shining with moisture. What?

 _'Am I... crying?'_

 _Fifteen years ago, Rome, Italy:_

I had just participated in, and lost, my very first sparring match. I began crying as I lay on the mat, holding my stomach where my childhood friend, Angelo, had planted the devastating kick that ended the brawl. Our master headed over to Angelo to clap a congratulatory hand on his shoulder. I saw my father approach me as I caught my breath.I hiccuped and rolled over to push myself off the ground, frantically wiping my eyes. I stood up straight, my eyes on the floor as he stopped in front of me.

He gently put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, shocked. Was he actually going to comfort me? "Father, I-"

The world spun sickeningly as he swept my legs out from under me, using the hand he had on my shoulder to slam me to the floor. I coughed and wheezed, swallowing down the bile that threatened to make its way out of my throat. When my vision cleared, Father was glaring down at me.

"You were defeated because you saw your opponent not as a foe, but as your friend. You pulled your punches and allowed yourself to become blinded by your own affection." He crouched down and gripped my shoulder again, his eyes cold as always. Why did everyone's eyes have to be so cold?

"You are a warrior above all else, child. Do you understand me?" He shook me a bit. "You are a Knight before you are Marzia. Knights do not allow emotion to blind their judgement, and above all else, They do. not. cry. Am I clear?"

I nodded as I struggled to reign in my tears. Of course he wouldn't comfort me. He never had, and I had been foolish to think he would change now. There was no reward for failure after all. He finally stood, allowing me to scramble to my feet. He turned his back on me and walked away. I watched him leave. I looked to Angelo helplessly, but he glanced at Master, who was watching him closely, before giving me an expressionless nod and leaving the room.

I wasn't the best fighter, not at first. I always lost more than I won, and had to work twice as hard to learn things that seemed to come to my peers naturally. There so were many sprains, bruises, and broken bones, so many disappointments, so many failures.

But I never cried.

Knights didn't cry.

Thought maybe I'd add in an explanation about why Mikhail, Meesha, and Marzia are the way they are. Wiishu's different, but then again, I don't think anyone could take away that personality


	87. Chapter 89

A couple days later, I was awakened from the pleasant dream world Dark had crafted for us (an amusement park that he'd apparently been working on for a couple days) by a loud bang followed by a sudden crushing weight. I let out an, 'OOF!' Before opening my eyes to an excited Wiishu, her bright grin just inches from mine.

"Merry Christmas!" She chimed, rolling over to wriggle herself between Dark and I. I rubbed my bleary eyes, struggling to clear my vision.

"Wha...?"

Dark let out a growl and opened one glimmering garnet eye to glare at the rogue Witch. "Signe, if you aren't out of this bed in the next five seconds, I'm going to force a shadow down your noisy throat and suffocate you from the inside."

"Ugh, you're so dramatic! Come on, it's Christmas! Meet us in the forest foyer in five minutes, I'm gonna go wake up Markimoo and Micky."

With that, she hopped out of bed and dashed out the door like a frivolous hurricane, leaving a disgruntled Dark and a groggy me in her wake. There was what sounded similar to the whiz and pop of a firework followed by a high pitched yelp and a bark.

"Merry Christmas!" Wiishu trumpeted from somewhere beyond our door.

Dark and I looked at each other. "Is it really Christmas?" I asked, shocked at how fast the time blew by. Had it really been almost a month?

Dark sighed, snapping his fingers to dress us both, despite the fact that I'd told him to stop doing that or I might forget how to put on a shirt.

"Yes... unfortunately. Come, we may as well see what that imbecile has planned before she makes us. I'd rather not deal with another tickle hex." He shuddered at the thought as I followed him out the door. I raised an eyebrow, resolving to dig the story behind that statement out of Wiishu later.

When we arrived at the clearing in front of the dojo that Wiishu had dubbed, 'The forest foyer,' everyone was already up. Mikhail looked the most awake, already dressed in his knights uniform and leaning against a tree at the edge of the clearing with a bored look on his face. Everyone else was in their pajamas.

"Alright! You're probably all wondering why I gathered you here today-"

"You did a spectacular job of making that clear already, Signe," Mikhail cut in dryly. The Hex Witch pouted.

"Aw, lighten up Micky!" She whined, using the nickname that only she could call him, "it's gonna be good, I promise! Amy and Mark, if you'll do the honors?"

"Sweet! Check this out guys, we've been practicing this for days!" Mark said excitedly as he hopped up and followed Amy to the center of the clearing, Chica in tow. Amy grinned, sharing his enthusiasm. She took his hand, holding her other one out to the ground.

"Alright, hotshot; ready?"

"Uh... this wouldn't have anything to do with the explosions we've been hearing lately, would it?" Felix asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'd stand back if I were you," Virgil said dryly from his place on a high branch at the clearing's edge. We all took his advice. Unconcerned by our reactions, the Elemental and her aprentice joined hands, extending their free ones towards the ground in front of them. To our amazement, a leafy green sprout popped out of the ground before growing into a brown stalk. It kept stretching and widening, splitting the earth beneath it as it grew. In a matter of seconds, there was a fully grown evergreen fir tree at least fifteen feet tall, with branches full of robust pinecones and deep green spines. There were laughs and claps from the group as Amy and Mark bowed.

"But wait! There's more!" Amy said in a Billy Mays voice. She let go of Mark's hand as he extended it towards the newborn tree, touching the very tip of one of its branches. His finger began to glow with a blue light that spread rapidly throughout the tree, setting it alight. When the intense shine faded somewhat, the tree was quite a sight; the tip of each long spine shimmered softly with a tiny blue light while all the pine cones shone with pretty multi colored, pulsing hues.

"Dude! That was sick!" Praised Felix, getting up to clap Mark on the back. Mark looked sheepish.

"Alright! Present time!" Wiishu cut in, clapping her hands together, practically vibrating with energy. Everyone looked at her strangely.

"Uh... There might be a kink in that plan, seeing as none of us have anything to give..." Sean supplied with a little huff of laughter. Wiishu waved a hand at him, unconcerned.

"I've got it taken care of, no need to thank me for saving christmas," she assured him. Dark sighed, turning to leave.

"I'm originally from Africa, and they don't celebrate Christmas. So if you'll excuse me-"

"But I got one for you too!" Wiishu whined and pouted adorably. Dark turned back around slowly, intrigued despite himself. Mikhail chuckled, earning him a glare.

"Oh really?"

Wiishu wooped when she saw that he was staying, bounding over and passing him to reach behind a large redwood tree. There was a chorus of, 'woahs,' and 'dudes,' and even an 'oh my,' from Mikhail as we marveled the work of art that she pulled out from behind the tree.

It was an ornate battle axe that was adorned with lavish black, silver, and gold furnishings that gave it a sinister air that went perfectly with his already intimidating aura. Dark stared for a moment, expressionless, before taking the axe from Wiishu and considering it thoughtfully. He once again turned away and walked to the edge of the clearing. I thought he was going to leave, but he suddenly raised the deadly weapon and swung, dealing a powerful blow the tree the sword had come from. We gawped in amazement as the tree stood still for a moment as if it hadn't been touched. Dark gave the tree a light push away from us, and the tree toppled to the ground with a deafening crash. Dark turned back to Wiishu with a feral grin that sent chills racing down my spine.

"Oh... this will do nicely..." he hissed in ferocious glee. He composed himself and looked Signe in the eye. "And thank you, my friend. I don't know what to say."

"I do!" Mark shouted. What'd you get me?!"

Thirty minutes later, we were each admiring our new weapons, testing them out on trees and on each other. For Mikhail, there was a gorgeous silver claymore sword that matched the daggers he loved so much:

For Mark, there was a delicate sword that was made of transparent crystal when it lay stagnant. Apparently, he could infuse it with energy from his own body though; at one point, it turned green when Amy was holding his hand. Aside from that, he got a blue scepter made for channeling magic that was obviously made to be used alongside the sword.

Chica looked adorable in her present, though I'm sure she was meant to look menacing:

The armor was definitely intimidating, but her goofy grin ruined the effect. Sean's gift suited him really well. He was given dual wielding crossbows that could attach to his wrists and a graceful green sword:

Felix's gifts were by far the coolest, though. A guardless greatsword and a full body shield to match, along with new gun knives that apparently didn't require reloading at all.

Since Amy didn't use weapons and I already had a ton of my own, Wiishu gave us necklaces that had a lot of power stored up in them already for use whenever we needed it. Virgil got the same, since Wiishu didn't know what he would want.

"Duuuuuuuude, this is the illest shit I've ever seen!" Mark said, admiring the way his blade glowed in his hand. Virgil snorted.

"And seeing someone wielding a sword in their superman pajamas is about the goofiest thing I've ever seen," he said dryly.

"Well it's not like we have any cool armor to wear like you guys and Chica," Mark groused. Virgil thought for a moment before pushing off the tree, landing in a crouch in front of Mark fifteen feet below.

"What's your favorite color?"

Mark blinked at the Djinn. "What?"

"What's your favorite color?" Virgil asked again, dead serious. The rest of us stopped one by one to watch the odd exchange.

"Red, I gues-" Mark started to say. Virgil snapped his fingers in the middle of his sentence, and Mark was suddenly obscured in thick violet smoke. He could be heard coughing within the cloud. When the haze cleared away...

Mark looked down at himself in awe. "Woah."

"I just couldn't stand seeing that sword go to waste on a get up like that," Virgil huffed as he dodged a hug from the grateful youtuber. Sean and Felix jumped forward, each demanding that they be next.

"Alright, alright, geez! Get off me and pick a color!" Virgil snapped, batting them away.

"Green!"

"Uhhhh... black!"

Virgil nodded and snapped both of his fingers at one, the same smoky substance that had surrounded Mark flying towards each of them.

"Nice," Sean chuckled.

Felix laughed and turned around, admiring himself. "This is so fuckin badass! He'll yeah!"

"You'd better be grateful. I reached into my own power reserves to make those," Virgil sniffed, crossing his arms.

The Mark and Felix thanked him quickly and dashed into the dojo to try out their new toys, followed by Mikhail, Dark, Amy, and Wiishu. Only me, Sean, and Virgil remained. I didn't really feel like sparring at the moment.

Virgil narrowed his eyes, giving Sean a cold look. "Aren't you going to join them?" He asked. Sean rubbed the back of his head and huffed out an awkward little laugh.

"Nah, I don't feel like sparring at the moment... I think I'll go explore a bit. I haven't really seen that much of this place."

"I'll go with You!" I said, "I need a break too." I looped my arm through his in a friendly fashion and grinned at him. He looked surprised, but smiled back at me.

"Sure."

Virgil had already disappeared.

To see pics, go to watt

Pad


	88. Chapter 90

Sean's POV:

Oh fuck... no, this was bad.

I weakly raised my head when I heard Jericho's voice directly addressing me- addressing Anti. "No... Jericho, LOOK at me, dammit..."

I couldn't do anything but watch helplessly from my dark cell as he led her away. Anti and I somewhat shared a mind, so I had a vague idea of what he was planning. He and Fell needed to get to the runes, and the only way to do that was to get to that Anjali person that was inside Jericho. To do THAT, they needed to get rid of Jericho...

And the way they planned to do it made me sick.

"Jericho..."

"She can't hear you, you feckless little fuck," came the distorted warble I'd come to know as Anti's true voice. He appeared before me within a whirlwind of jade tinted shadows that were accompanied by a soft, rasping hiss. He leaned indolently against the wall not five yards away, a smug smirk on his face. That expression didn't belong there. I would never look at anyone so coldly.

"Of course not," he sneered as my thoughts reached him through our link, "you've got no fucking spine, no ambition! You don't have anything to BE smug about because you don't fight for anything."

"And you do?" I snarled.

"Yes. Power. Pure, unadulterated power. I'm fighting for EVERYTHING." He crouched down before me, cocking his head at me in a birdlike motion. I didn't break eye contact, determined not to be cowed by the sick insanity I saw in his eyes.

I was suddenly wracked with an intense pain that flooded my body and mind. It was like being burned alive from the inside out; I could feel every synapse exploding, every nerve ending flaring with pain all the way from my head to my toes.

But I didn't look away. I didn't break. I didn't scream. I didn't cry out as my muscles tensed and cramped, didn't make a sound as the torture lanced like a knife through my skull, didnt so much as moan as blood began trickling from my eyes. I pulled against my restraints and gritted my teeth, taking uneven shaking breaths as my body convulsed. I felt weaker and weaker as the torture went on for what felt like forever. But I didn't slump over. I didn't pass out as my eyelids fluttered with exhaustion.

I wouldn't break.

Not now. Not ever.

Anti cocked his head the other direction as he glared at me in annoyance. His eyes plummeted bright with unadulterated malice. "Scream, McLaughlin. Let me hear you cry and whimper..."

I seized up violently as the pain doubled, yanking against the chains and kicking my bare feet across the floor as he cranked up the heat. "Ngh-"

"Scream!" Anti suddenly yelled, gripping the sides of my head like a vice, crouching over me and putting his forehead to mine as he glared into my eyes.

"SCREAM LIKE THE LITTLE RAT YOU ARE!" He howled, his voice deafening at point blank range, "GOD DAMMIT, WHY DON'T YOU EVER SCREAM?!"

Streams of hot, viscous blood was running out of my eyes, nose, and ears, dripping down my neck. We'd been through this horrible song and dance before, but it had never been this bad. He'd never gone this far, not caring enough to waste time with me. I guess he'd finally snapped.

He snarled in frustration, cracking my head back against the wall with crushing force before standing up and delivering a vicious kick to my abdomen. Stars exploded behind my eyes. I opened my mouth out of reflex as several ribs shattered, but swallowed the howl of pain before it could make its way out of my throat alongside the blood that was dribbling down my chin.

I looked up at him through the dark haze that was threatening to overwhelm my vision. I opened my mouth, feeling as it was filled with cotton.

"F-fuck...y-you..."

Anti's mad eyes widened, baring his teeth as his face contorted in a horrible grimace of rage. I saw him extend his hand, palm out-

Anti's POV:

'Fuckin boyscout... thinks he's so fuckin tough, doesn't he?'

But he would break. All of my subjects did eventually. And oh, it would be the sweetest scream. It would feel so damn SATISFYING when he realized that there was no escape, no one coming to save little Jackaboy. He was a hard nut to crack; in fact, no one had ever lasted as long as he did. Usually they would go insane within the second day. But with the way time passed in here? It had been more like two weeks. As much as I hated to admit it, though he had practically negative magical talent, his willpower...

"Sean?"

I almost jumped, drawn out of my grim thoughts by Jericho's concerned voice. I looked at her with a practiced smile.

"What's up?"

"You've just been a little quiet lately... are you okay?" She asked, looking into my eyes. God, the sappy look she was giving me made me want to drop her ass right there, plan be damned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess things have just been a little exciting lately. It's nice to just be with a friend you know?" Ugh, barf.

"Yeah. I guess the peace and quiet is pretty nice after everything that's gone down," she agreed. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Just a couple more minutes, and I'd be able to drop the boy scout act.

"So where do you want to go? I don't think we've been past the constellation room yet, and I think I saw a jungle through the entrance!" She said eagerly. I thought about it; that should be far enough. I nodded, once again smacking a cheesy grin on my face.

"Sure thing!"


	89. Chapter 91

Cold rain patterned against the window of my apartment in a gloomy, steady drone. I knew that some adored the rainy grey days, found the dark clouds that covered the sky not oppressive, but relaxing. I used to be one of those people, before... everything happened, but now that I had no one to enjoy the rain with, I just found it depressing and sad. I knew that my depression wouldn't retreat with the weather, though.

My parents loved the rain, before they disappeared. My mom would make us a huge pitcher of hot cocoa and bundle us up in fuzzy blankets to watch a movie or chat the afternoon away. Sometimes we'd even sing. That was the best.

My voice had probably atrophied in the two months that had passed since then.

Every day became a pure torture to me; I didn't eat, I didn't sleep for fear of the oppressive darkness that infected my dreams, the dark senseless limbo that frightened me so.

The police weren't responding, no one was giving me the light of day. Even that Demon, Dark had disappeared, apparently losing interest in me. I dragged myself to my classes every day mechanically, crawling back home straight afterwards. I felt sick from the isolation. I felt like a ghost, like I didn't really exist.

Why wouldn't anyone just LOOK at Me?

My car broke down on my way home on- what day was it? I didn't really care about dates or days anymore, actually. What was the point? They were all the same anyway, coming and going, one after another.

I sat still for a moment before getting out of my car, facing the merciless winter winds. I made no attempt to bolster my defense against the cold, letting my jacket flap freely in the wind. The sting of the ice didn't bother me. Ghosts didn't feel the cold, after all. Suddenly, all noise around me ceased. The wind stopped. The honks and shouts and bustle of the city dropped away to nothing. I looked up from my feet to see that the streets of New York were empty. All signs of life were gone, as if no one had been there for months. There were cars stopped and frosted over in the street, Dark lamps and broken streetlights... there wasn't even a single foot print or tire track in sight, only a fresh layer of clean white snow that should be impossible for a bustling hive like New York city.

I looked down as an eerie, sickly white mist crept slowly out from every surrounding alleyway and road, encroaching on my position at a snail's crawl. It never rose higher than a foot off the ground, hovering over the street like a soft white down.

Drawn by an inexplicable force, I moved slowly to the center of the nearly empty street, putting one foot in front of the other until I was facing forward in the direction traffic would normally be moving. A hazy figure that had previously escaped my notice mirrored my movements about fifteen feet away from me, stopping when I did and turning to face me. I noted with a dulled sense of shock that I definitely recognized this figure- his shape and countenance were unmistakable:

There it stood in all its horrific glory– the monster with the body of a man, with a red triangular helmet obscuring its face, smothered in dried blood. He looked exactly like you'd expect; a bloody figure with the aura of a murderer, silent and merciless. It was no other than Pyramid Head, the executioner that exacted revenge for unforgivable sins.

I stared at the beast as it drew closer, making awful metallic screeching sounds as it drug its cleaver behind it. I didn't flinch. I didn't run. I just watched as it finally came to a halt before me. There was just enough room between us for the giant knife to reach me.

When he raised the weapon with one hand and placed it on my shoulder, blade towards my neck, I didn't react except to wonder if death would be as cold and dark as life was. The monster and I held our positions for a full minute before he...

He chuckled.

I cocked my head in confusion as a dark laugh echoed metallically inside the structure resting on his shoulders. The executioner lowered his oversized knife and dropped it as it dissolved into gold and black. The same thing happened to the pyramid that made the beast so famous as his body morphed into a skinnier, more agile form clad in ripped black jeans and a dark tee shirt.

 _That face... I know that face..._

The figure laughed again as tunnel vision set in, the white world tilting as I collapsed. I heard an insane high pitched giggle above me as I was caught before I hit the ground.

Was someone calling my name?

 _ **Fell's POV:**_

"Well _done_ , Antioch," I hissed as I took the unconscious Druid from his arms. I grinned as I examined her sleeping face.

"I'm coming for you, love..." I crooned as I tucked an errant strand of her platinum hair behind her ear.

"I'm coming for you... _and everything you stole from me."_


	90. Chapter 92

_"Jericho... Jericho! Awaken, child! We haven't much time!"_

I shot up and opened my eyes to see a familiar woman crouched next to me.

"Anjali...?"

The being that was more warrior than Druid gave me a terse smile, rising and helping me up. We were once again surrounded by the same darkness as the last time I'd seen her. I shook my head to clear it, putting a hand to my pounding temple. The last thing I remembered was entering the colorful jungle with Sean and then...

"Anjali, what happened?"

She quickly looked over her shoulder at something I couldn't see. _"Fell 'iikh's lapdog has been possessing his vessel for the past three days. The Hunter known as Sean."_

I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her attention back to me. "What? Anti's been possessing Sean?! How? He shouldn't even know where we are!" I felt physically ill knowing that I had treated Anti as a friend, thinking he was Sean. How awful a friend was I that I hadn't even noticed? Anjali shrugged my hands off of her armored shoulders.

"He infected Sean days ago, when you were confronted by the Resistance. He was possessing your friend before the Djinn even healed his wounds," she said Grimmly, "And now he has led his master here.

"But that is the least of your concerns now, child. They are weasling there way into your psyche as we speak, looking for me. They are going to draw out old memories to frighten you, weaken you. They will corrupt you by forcing your own mind to betray you."

She stopped as her form suddenly wavered like water. She began to speak more urgently.

"I must go, they are coming. I will try to interfere as much as I can; pray that your friend find you before they go too far."

Her form wavered again before dissipating, leaving me alone in the darkness. I heard a wicked laugh echo from all around me:

"I'm coming for you... And everything you stole from me."

Then, even that faded as I was swallowed whole by the blackness.


	91. Chapter 93

_"...Department of agriculture commissioner Salazar said changing weather patterns were to blame for livestock behavior..."_

A static voice crackled at me from my car's radio, warbling eerily. _What...?_

I screamed as I nearly drove off the road into the rampant overgrowth that ran alongside the pothole-ridden dirt path that obviously wasn't meant for a vehicle. I steadied the car and slammed on the brakes, panting as the dust from my sudden stop settled.

 _"...And if you're out late tonight, you might see some low flying helicopters near Silverthorne and Leadville..."_

I looked for a button to turn the senseless chatter off, but it continued to drone on despite everything I pressed. I finally let it go, trying to ignore it as I tried to take inventory of my situation. Where in the hell was I? How did I get here in the middle of bare-ass nowhere driving along a dirt road that I'd never seen before? Suddenly, the radio petered out into loud, screeching static.

 _"..._ _ **Crkrkss**_ _...Spraying for an infestation of..._ _ **crchkrrr..**_ _.bugs..."_

And then, something caught my eye. Right in view of the headlights off the side of the road was a large stone sign that was obviously made to look elegant, but ended up having the opposite effect. Engraved on it in bold, unmistakable letters, were the words:

 **MOUNT MASSIVE ASYLUM**

"No..." I whispered, running a hand through my hair. This was so much worse than Dreadhalls. What Dark had put me through then seemed like a mercy compared to this hell. Looked behind me, putting the car in reverse with every intention of going the other direction. And I screamed.

Fell was there, he was right there behind the car, smirking at me through the back windshield. I threw the car into drive and slammed on the gas, the tires screeching in protest as I shot down the rugged road. I glanced behind me again to see that he had disappeared, but I didn't slow down. Not on my own, anyway.

The car slowed to about fifteen miles an hour, moseying along the road calmly no matter how hard I pushed the gas. I shrieked when an all too familiar voice came crackling through the radio:

 _"Long time no see, little thing... did you miss me?"_ Fell's smooth voice came over the speaker as the car ambled along, sounding nothing like the fun-loving Pewdiepie I'd adored watching for years. I didn't answer. I'd like to be able to say that my silence was one of defiance, but the truth of it was that I was too petrified to speak.

 _"Mmm, that terror... I've missed thissss..."_ His words ended in a sinister hiss.

Suddenly he was in the passenger's seat beside me, making me shriek and flinch violently. I frantically undid the lock and yanked on the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. I was suddenly encased in ice and slammed back against the seat by the same cold shadows he had used to restrain me in the nightmare he created when he tampered with my memories. they wrapped around me, holding my legs together and trapping my arms against my sides. A dark gold and black tendril wrapped around my neck and forehead and yanked my head back against the seat. The position I was trapped in reminded me of Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs. I turned my head as best I could, watching him with wide, terrified eyes as he lounged comfortably in the seat, completely at ease.

He leaned over towards me slowly, putting a teasing hand on my knee and slowly sliding it up my thigh. I whimpered in discomfort and he grinned wickedly at me, baring his teeth wolfishly. Just when his invasive hand was almost an inch away from the juncture at my core, he stopped. I squeezed my eyes shut as his face edged closer to mine. I heard him whisper in my ear, felt his cold breath on my face.

"I know you're there, _Anjali_..." He breathed, "I said it once, and I'll say it again; I'm coming for you. Your vessel will weaken eventually and you know it. Your defenses may have protected her against Dark and any other Paranormal, but me?" He chuckled softly, "Child's play."

And he was gone. I opened my eyes to see that the car had arrived at the huge gate that marked the entrance to the dreaded asylum. the door of the car opened on its own. I had the urge to run, but I knew without a doubt that he would catch me. I had no choice but to play his game.

Dark's POV:

"Jericho! Jericho!"

I called to her with my voice and my mind. Virgil had come to us half an hour ago saying that something was very, very wrong with Sean and Jericho. He told us he had followed them, suspicious of Sean's motives, when he saw Jericho faint and Sean's eyes flash green. He had immediately come to us, knowing that he wouldn't be able to take a Demon on his own. Jericho and the possessed Sean were of course no longer in the jungle area where the Djinn had last seen them. They had most likely exited the castle's dimension.

And we had to assume that Fell was with them.

And so our search had begun. We split up to the north, south, east, and west; Mikhail with Felix, Amy with Mark and his dog, Virgil with me, and Wiishu with Marzia, who surprised us all with her willingness to help. The energy signatures of Jericho and Anti had disappeared, though we knew that they had to be either near the castle or within a few kilometers of its entrance; not even Fell could travel that fast.

I flitted back and forth between my shadows and my human form, calling out every once in a while with my mind directly to Jericho. Virgil followed in a ribbon like strand of violet smoke, teleporting from side to side a mile at a time as only Djinns can do before flitting back to me.

 _ **'Please... let me find her in time!'**_

 _Jericho's POV:_

I had found my way into the asylum after being chased by shadows when I tried to hide instead of moving forward. I briefly questioned why Fell would throw me into this specific scenario before remembering what Anjali told me about how he would drag my own fears out of my head and use them against me.

 _'Well... this certainly counts as a fear,'_ I thought, remembering the screams I got out of this game. I walked along the wreckage that lined the decrepit hallways, shuddering at the bloodstains decorating the walls. It was so much worse than I remembered, now that I was able to smell the decay, hear the crunch of broken glass beneath my feat, feel the aura of fear permeating the air...

I came upon a hallway that was blocked by debris, so I turned into a room on my right, unwilling to turn back. suddenly, the fluorescent lights blinked and shattered, causing me to jump and swallow back a scream that I knew would draw unwanted attention. I fumbled with my camera, flipping on the night vision as I stood there in the oppressive darkness, breathing heavily. This turned out to be unnecessary.

A moment later, the room was illuminated by the crackling glow of static as a small TV on one of the walls flickered on. I nearly dropped the camera as the gray and black fuzz began to fade, slowly giving way to a blurry image and muffled sounds that I couldn't make out. I slowly walked closer to the screen, squinting as I tried to make it out...

There were two people in a small, dimly lit room strapped to two different tables, a man and a woman. I couldn't quite make out their faces, but I could see that they were tied down much like I had been in the car, with their arms, legs, heads, and torsos secured to the surface, rendering them completely immobile. The image became a bit clearer, and I was able to make out strange instruments lining the walls. A chill ran down my spine; it was abundantly clear that these things weren't tools you'd find in a garage or shop.

These were instruments of torture.

I could see blood lining the walls, staining the various knives, nails, saws and various other frightening things that hung there. I noticed that the point of view on the TV was shaky, as if the person was holding a camera. Or like I was seeing through someone else's eyes.

The TV was almost completely clear of static now, aside from the occasional glitch. Whoever was holding the camera looked away from the two prisoners and walked towards the gruesome display on the wall across the room. The view shifted from side to side all the while, as if considering each tool one by one. It eventually settled on what looked like an ice cream scoop, but smaller and with a serrated edge. A hand extended from the corner as the camera man grabbed it before looking to the wall once more. A scalpel was removed as well, looking rusted, but still sharp.

"I don't suppose either of you have changed your mind?" Came a calm, apathetic tone from somewhere very near the camera. Oh no. no, no, no...

 _ **That was Fell's voice.**_

I dropped my own camera, running up to the TV and studying it from inches away. There was silence in response to Fell's question. He sighed, the screen going black for a moment before the image was restored. Was that him blinking? Was this from Fell's point of view?

I felt sick as the camera turned towards the figures on the tables, close enough to them that I could see their faces. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I crumpled to the floor, unable to look away from the screen.

"Mom... Dad..."

"Last chance, Love birds..." Fell growled as he approached my father, not even struggling as he lay bound and gagged on the table. Fell was looking at him upside down, like he was leaning over the head of the table.

"Where. Is. The girl?" Fell asked, annoyance beginning to tinge his voice. My father just stared angrily up at him, making Fell growl. "Have it your way, Counciman. let's see how well you can glare at me without your _eyelids_ , hm?"

I saw the scalpel being raised towards dad's right eye.

"NO! DAD! DADDY!" I screamed, forgetting about my noise level as I grabbed the TV with both hands, shaking it as if I could stop the scene going on inside. Fell grabbed his eyelid, ignoring how he twisted and turned, and placed the scalpel at the edge. I squeezed my eyes shut and looked away, sobbing uncontrollably. I collapsed bonelessly into a fetal position as the sound of Fell's sick laughter penetrated my ears. I was eternally grateful for the fact that my father didn't make one sound. After about a minute, the Demon spoke again:

"Aw, we wouldn't want to leave mommy out of the fun, now would we? _What's a seer without her eyes?"_ He hissed. I heard a metallic click.

I didn't have to look to figure out exactly what he was using the scoop for.

Suddenly, Fell's laughter stopped. I looked up at the TV screen to see that it had brightened immensely, now depicting a hellish storm of ten foot high flames that silhouetted two tall figures, a third on the ground at their feet. The scene felt foreign and yet so familiar at the same time, like a memory of a memory. I stood slowly and reached toward the image...

There was a sound behind me, making me whip my head around. outside the doorway, there was a growing shadow of a person walking down the hall, their heavy footsteps echoing through the corridor. I snatched up the camera and looked around frantically for an escape route, my grief pushed aside for the time being.

There! An air vent in the corner, just large enough for me to fit through. Luckily, it was exposed, the vent and filter missing. I dove for the opening as the footsteps became louder, army crawling along the dark tunnel as silently as I could. I was about ten feet in when I heard the footsteps enter the room. I heard rustling and banging, followed by more footsteps, and then...

"Well hello..." There was a growling whisper aimed right at me, bouncing off the walls of the vent. I resisted the urge to shriek and glanced quickly behind me to see the silhouette of a large man was trying to squeeze in after me. Luckily, it looked like he was too big to fit. He snarled and retreated, sounding more animal than human. Muttering to himself, he stood and walked away, his footsteps receding into silence. I sighed in relief, resuming my journey through the vent.

There were vented openings along the sides every twenty five feet. Through these opening, I could see that I was somehow fifteen or so feet in the air; I guess I passed some stairs somewhere back there.

As I passed one of the vents, a flash of movement on the floor below caught my eye. I was looking down on a room much like the one I just left. The door burst open with a loud bang that made me flinch. The man who stumbled in looked crazed; his hair was messy and disheveled and his shirt was torn, sweat pouring down his feverish brow and mixing with the spots of dried blood that decorated his face. His breath was frantic as his wide, mad eyes flitted back and forth across the room, searching. He stood there for just a scant moment before dashing back out. Despite how insane he looked, it was a face that I knew all too well...

"Mark?"

Ten minutes later, I finally reached the end of the vent. I counted to twenty before forcing myself to make the fifteen foot drop, pushing off the wall and landing in a miraculous roll. I only saw a couple stars. The hallway I was in now was indistinguishable from all the others, scattered with bloodstains, glass, and debris. I looked around, wondering just what I was supposed to be doing here.

And there they were again. Footsteps.

Only this time, they were accompanied by crazed moans that told me my pursuer was close. I just prayed that it wouldn't be the demented version of Mark that I saw through the vent. I ran to the nearest door, opening it quietly...

And screamed, loud and long.


	92. Chapter 94

I screamed, Long and loud.

The room was huge, about the size of my high school basketball stadium. Like the rest of the asylum, it was scantily lit by fluorescent lights that blinked on and off unsteadily. The same dirty, decrepit mess of broken rubbish that I was used to seeing was scattered along the floor. But none of that was what ripped that scream from my throat.

There, just inside the door, was what could only be described as a massacre, a pogrom. There were at least two hundred corpses strewn carelessly about the gym like dirty laundry; they hung on ropes from the rafters. They lay in haphazard positions on the blood soaked floor, half of them missing limbs or heads. They were pinned to the walls by swords and nails; one almost looked as if it had been crucified. All of them had wide, vacant eyes and faces frozen in horrible grimaces of terror. All of them had...

My spine turned to ice when I noticed the similarities between the cadavers;

Platinum white hair.

Pale porceline skin.

They were druids.

I felt physically ill to the point of passing out. I gagged and held my hand over my mouth to try and cover the rusty tinge of blood in the air. What was I going to do? I couldn't go back out there; I'd be running right to my death. Having no choice, I ran further into the massive room, jumping over the bodies. I almost wretched when my foot landed in a puddle of blood so deep that it splashed up my leg.

"Jericho?"

I stopped and whirled around to see a lanky silhouette moving into the room, lifting their legs carefully to avoid the bodies. "What the bloody hell..." They muttered. I almost dropped the camera in shock.

"S-Sean...?" I whispered, unable to even form words correctly. The silhouette's head shot to me.

"Jericho, is that you? I've been looking everywhere for you! Thank God you're okay!" Sean exclaimed in relief as he made his way towards me. I stood stock still amidst the battered corpses, unsure whether to run. He held out a friendly hand.

"C'mon, let's get you outta here."

Mikhail's POV:

The boy and I ran parallel to each other across the desert sands, about two kilometers apart to cover more ground. The plain was flat, so i could see him clearly. I'd never wished for a vehicle more than I wished for one in that moment, speed and endurance charms be damned.

The charms that we wore allowed us to run up to thirty kilometers per hour for long periods of time. Unfortunately, they were single use. But if this didn't constitute drastic measures, then I didn't know what would. I looked to the side to check on Felix and realized he was no longer running, and had stopped about half a kilometer back.

I dug my heels into the dry, dead earth and squinted across the desert plain to see what the hold up was. It was trouble, that was for certain. There were three figures standing before him that I couldn't identify from my distance to the boy. They weren't locked in combat; just standing and facing Felix as if conversing.

Not knowing what to make of it, I changed course and prepared to dash over, only to be stopped by two strangers of my own.

'Why are THEY here...?'

Dark's POV:

Virgil suddenly appeared beside me in the form of his graceful ribbon of purple mist, linking with my mind.

'There's trouble to the east with Mikhail and Felix,' he sent me, emotionless as always, 'They've been stopped by a group of five humanoid paranormals that I couldn't quite make out. Should we help them?'

"No, Mikhail is fully capable of taking care of himself. Keep looking; you can cover more ground than I can by teleporting."

The Djinn gave a mental nod and did just that, flitting out of existence. Of course I was worried about my comrades. But we had more important matters on our hands.

Jericho's POV:

I stared at Sean's outstretched hand, unsure of whether or not to trust him. Noticing my hesitation, he retracted his offering and used it instead to scratch the back of his head in that familiar, awkward way before looking over his shoulder at the door and back to me.

"Jericho, listen, we really don't have time to-"

"YOU!"

We both startled at the deep bellow from the door. Sean turned and stepped back so that he was beside me, facing the intruder. I began trembling when I realized that the source of the voice was none other than the deranged version of Mark I'd seen from the air vent. I began hyperventilating as he came closer.

"You did this. You did ALL of this!" He screamed, gesturing wildly to the surrounding carnage. As he spoke, his body glitched and warped oddly so that for a moment he almost looked like a different person. A person I knew, but didn't, with deep ebony skin. The moment was gone before I had a chance to get a good look.

"No... no, I didn't do anything! It- IT WASN'T ME!" I shouted desperately as we began backing away.

But then why did I feel so guilty?

There was nowhere to run unless we went around mad Mark and out the only entrance to the room. Sean leaned over to whisper in my ear as Mark continued his condemning rant.

"On three, we go around him. To the left, swing wide," he breathed. I nodded, desperate for any escape from this situation. "Alright, one... two..."

Mad Mark suddenly broke into a sprint, gaining heavy ground.

"Three! Go, hurry!" He said needlessly; we were already running before he got the words out. I heard a deep, animalistic growl immediately to my right before Sean cried out, his hand wrenched from mine as he hit the ground hard. I turned to see Mad Mark strangling Sean, eyes crazed as he pressed down with all his might. I screamed and ripped a knife out of a Druid's back, plunging it into Mark's. The man that looked like my friend howled with rage and pain as I yanked the weapon back, letting go of Sean and rolling off him to face me. He charged, raising his arm as if to strike me-

Blood dribbled down his lips and chin as he gagged wordlessly, struggling to draw breath through his newly slit throat. I stepped to the side as he collapsed, sobbing helplessly as the light faded from his eyes. No, no, oh God, no...

Sean caught me before I could fall, pulling me into a secure embrace and shushing me. It didn't matter in that moment if I could trust him or not; I was too cold and numb and weak to resist.

"I... I had to, he killed him... They wouldn't listen... I had to, I had to, I'm sorry..."

I felt my mouth moving, words spilling out of their own accord. I had no control over what I was saying as I stood there and sobbed. I didn't even know what the words meant, didn't know what I had done, what I had to be sorry for. I eventually quiet down, and Sean begins to speak.

"It's okay, I'm here, Jericho. You don't have to be alone anymore, okay?" He pulled back and wiped my tears, cradling my face and smiling kindly. "Do you remember the first time we met?" He asked. I nodded, smiling shakily at the memory.

"Yeah... I attacked you because I thought you were Anti. Heh... sorry about that by the way."

He chuckled and shook his head, still holding my face.

"No, no, I'm talking about before that. Remember? When I returned your backpack?" He said as his grip tightened slightly. I was confused for a split second at his words before my blood ran cold. He chuckled as I realized what he was insinuating. The person who returned my backpack wasn't Sean...

"You were so easy that it was almost cute," he said, his smile gradually morphing into a wicked sneer. His fingers dug painfully into my skull, causing me to cry out and grip his wrists to try and pull them away.

"So lonely, so pathetically desperate for love and attention that you didn't even realize that your first friend..." his voice began to distort horribly, his eyes flickering and changing, darkening. Rotten green and black shadows began to flow out of ever pore until they surrounded us.

"Was a monster," he finished in a whispering hiss. He suddenly pushed me away violently, sending me crashing to the floor. I was shocked to find that the bodies were gone as if they'd never been there, leaving the floor and walls spotless except for the occasional blood stain.

"So foolishly naive, not even realizing the danger you were walking into... pathetic."

My head turned to the new voice so sharply I could almost hear a snap. This voice had a deeper timbre, one I'd come to love: My very own Demon, Dark. I glanced behind me to see that Anti had disappeared. In his place, Dark crouched down beside me, gently gripping my chin and turning it to face him.

"And just what makes you think that I'm not the same? That I'm not just manipulating you for your power? For my own pleasure?"

He suddenly pinned me to the ground, making me lose my breath in a rush. He trapped my arms above my head before I could stop him, straddling my thighs. I felt tears begin to fill my eyes, poleaxed by his cruel words. This wasn't Dark. It couldn't be. This was still Anti, right?

"Wrong," Dark answered my unspoken thoughts, "So very... very..."

His form shifted and warped like a glitching computer screen, his body becoming taller and more lithe. When the dizzying motion finally stopped, the figure that hovered above me was the one that I feared the most.

"...Wrong," Fell finished smoothly in Dark's place.

I briefly considered struggling before I realized the futility. I just laid still, staring helplessly into his cruel, cold, serpentine eyes. He cocked his head at me and smiled almost kindly in that indulgent way one might use with a child.

"Do you really think you can protect them, Jericho? Against me?" He laughed softly, leaning in close. "I already got through the supposedly unbreakable shields my Anjali constructed; think about what I could do to your little friends." He breathed, brushing his lips against mine.

"Do you really think for one second... Anjali..." Fell murmured, gazing into my eyes, "that this little girl will be your," he chuckled at the irony of his next words, "asylum against me? No. She will fall. She is falling..."

And then, he closed the distance between his lips and mine, sampling me like a heady wine in an oddly gentle way. I closed my eyes, remaining still and numb, too frightened to dare pull away as he took my lower lip between his teeth, nibbling lightly. He continued his slow attack as he wedged my thighs apart with his knee, pressing closer as he ground his hips against my own.

The way he was moving against me during this silent exchange was so similar to Dark that I almost began kissing back. With my eyes closed, it felt just like him.

"Jericho."

I opened my eyes to see that it wasn't Fell kissing me, but Dark. Tears rolled down the sides of my face into my hair at this cruel turn of events. How awful, to know that a wolf was hiding behind that trusted face...

I felt my mouth move again of its own accord: "Aaron, my Aaron..."

The moment those words left my lips, the face above me changed to that of a handsome man with dark ebony skin. He wore just a ragged makeshift tunic and what looked like a knee length skirt, both made from rough material. I knew, without a doubt, that this was Anjali's Dark. This was the human that Fell had murdered.

Aaron pulled back, allowing me to see the entirety of his kind face as he gazed into my eyes. Suddenly, his visage was twisted Into a cruel smirk, his mouth opening to speak in fell's voice:

"I Found you... Anjali."


	93. Chapter 95

Suicide and self hatred trigger warning! The abbreviated version is that Jericho is forced to "kill herself" in her mind to make room for Anjali to come to the forefront of her psyche. I am so, so sorry if this offends you!

No hate! I know what it's like, too!

Jericho's POV:

The last thing I remembered before blacking out was hearing Anjali's name from Fell, and then... nothing. I sat up and examined my surroundings. I was in the living room in our apartment. It was so alien, being home again. Normalcy had become abnormal in the crazy life I led. I only had a minute to reflect on the feeling before a soft cough dragged my gaze to my Dad's TV chair. But instead of my Dad...

It was me. A perfect replica of me, every detail copied to a T. She sat hunched in the chair as if exhausted. Her skin was an unhealthy, sickly yellow. She met my gaze with glassy eyes that had deep bags underneath them, like she hadn't slept in days. If I had to describe the me that sat in that chair with one word, I'd say she looked DONE. Done with everything.

She looked away from me and began fiddling with an object in her lap, twisting it and turning it, admiring the way it caught the light.

A knife. It looked like a small version of the cleaver that pyramid head wielded, no more than ten inches long, but wickedly sharp nonetheless. My tired twin pricked her finger on the very tip, not flinching as the resulting bright red drop of blood ran from her finger down the length of the weapon. She met my eyes again.

"Is it over yet?" She rasped tiredly, her voice hoarse like sandpaper.

"...Is what over?" I asked. Looking back, I know now how strange and demented this scene was, but at the time it seemed completely normal.

"Everything. Are we to the end yet? Are we there yet?" She looked back at the knife. "I want to rest... I want to sleep and dream of something other than grief...and guilt...and fear...I'm just... so tired..." her voice became quieter.

She held the knife out to me weakly. "Will you help me? Will you take me to the end? Please?" She begged as best she could with her dry rasp. I shook my head, stepping back. Even in my warped state of mind, I couldn't kill someone if I didn't have to. Her face fell as she dropped even more in disappointment.

"Oh..." She stared listlessly from the knife to me before sighing and raising the weapon to her own neck.

"I guess... no one will even help me die... figures..." She chuckled weakly before slitting her own throat, cutting nearly halfway through. As I stood watching in disbelief. Her eyes rolled back in her head as the knife clattered to the floor. I was suddenly overcome with a powerful wave of vertigo that sent me tumbling to the floor.

I coughed and gagged involuntarily, struggling to draw just one breath. I felt a scorching heat encompass my neck before seeing a dark red pool gathering beside my head, soaking into my hair. I writhed on the floor, choking and suffocating as my eyes rolled back in my head just like hers had.

By the time I figured out what had happened...

What Fell had done...

I was already gone.

...it was up to her now...


	94. Chapter 96

Felix's POV:

"Gah!"

I faltered in my stride, almost falling face first in the dirt as three short forms snapped into existence in front of me. I dug my heels into the dirt, struggling to stop quickly. I ended up falling on my butt just a couple feet from the three strangers. I pushed myself off the ground and dusted myself off, regarding them warily.

Each of them were no more than four and a half feet tall, covered in ragged brown cloaks that completely obscured their figures. They honestly looked a bit freaky. I ignored my unease and stepped back, politely giving them some space.

"Listen," I said slowly, hoping that they were friendly and not some weird flesh eating paranormal.

"My friend is in trouble- big trouble. I don't know if I'm crossing some border or invading your territory or something, but I need to keep looking for her," I explained. Man I really hoped they spoke English. I was willing to try Swedish at that point. The short things stayed silent, which was pretty annoying, but I held back my anger.

"Just- just give me a couple hours. I won't disturb anything, I promise, I'll just-"

"Peace, human. We know your plight," said one of the cloaked figures. I crossed my arms, unable to hide my bereavement any longer.

"Well why didn't you say so? We're wasting time. She could be dead by the time we finish talking!" I snapped. They cocked their heads in unison, probably at my tone. Well good.

"I didn't want to pull this card, but..." I crouched into the fighting position Mikhail showed me, "Don't make me move you out of the way myself!" I warned.

The things turned to each other before raising their hoods. I straightened, dropping my stance in surprise.

Their features were exotic and delicate, almost birdlike. One of them looked kind of like Jericho, with white hair and the pale skin these things seemed to share. The others had black hair, and one was clearly a male, but they looked about the same.

"Uh... sorry, but I'm new to this; what are you?" I asked.

"Seelie Elves of the Anjali Coven," the white one answered in a tiny, but musical voice, "And the one you seek did not pass by this way."

"Oh! Cool, okay. Thanks!" I said hurriedly, preparing to dash back the opposite direction.

"Be still for a moment, Human. The Blood King is near enough to your target that the battle will be over before any of you arrive," said the Elf woman softly. I turned back; something told me I should listen.

"Okay, I'm being still; What do you want?" I asked, not bothering to ask how they knew all of our positions. I had seen enough supernatural shit in the past week and a half to know not to question some things.

"To tell you that the very thing you are trying to prevent should not be fought. Anjali's emergence is essential to restoring balance to our world," the white Elf stated. The male elf with black hair took over.

"She disturbed the natural order and set events in motion that spilled oceans of blood. She alone tilted the Earth on its very axis..." He intoned Grimmly.

"So she must be the one to set it right," finished the dark haired female, "Anjali must fade in order to restore the natural order. She must emerge before she can fade away. It is necessary."

I listened to their foreign, bird like voices, drinking in their words. Anjali was the original Jericho, right? They shared a soul. I remembered the others talking about special runes that Anjali was hiding...

"Wait, doesn't that mean that the runes she's hiding are going to be exposed? Won't that free the Demons from their vessels?" I asked in confusion. Why the hell would we WANT that to happen? The white Elf shook her dainty head.

"It is not so. The Fallen one believes that he will be freed by the runes, as clever Anjali has led him to. Though it is still true that there is great power to be gained from breaking the seal, the Demon's binding is permanent. This was not the true purpose of the runes."

"Then what is it?" I asked impatiently.

"The runes are not to bind the Demons, but the lost Druids. The many sisters that Anjali betrayed in her lust for revenge."

Signe's POV:

It seemed as if we were running forever. Despite the speed charm, I was getting some nasty cramps. But the slight pangs of discomfort in my calves and thighs were way less than I deserved. I was overwhelmed with guilt for not realizing that Sean wasn't... well, Sean. I had joked and laughed with a Demon that probably wanted nothing more than to slit my throat. If I'd only looked a little closer...

'I'm the worst.'

I heard a shout from far to my right. I saw Marzia waving frantically at me from her position a mile away. She was crouched down beside something... someone?

I ran over as fast as the speed charm would let me, crouching beside her. My mind flooded with relief and concern at the same time at the sight of Sean's body, still breathing steadily. I searched his mind and laughed out loud with relief; he was injured, probably mentally tortured, but this was one hundred percent unadulterated Sean.

I kissed his adorable nose.

He was okay, for real this time.

Dark's POV:

I mentally called to Virgil as I came to a decrepit old makeshift shack crafted sloppily from sticks and dried mud. Whoever had lived here abandoned this sorry place long ago. Virgil's aura popped into existence beside me before expanding and solidifying into the familiar gothic Djinn.

"I feel an unfamiliar energy signature inside; come, and be on your guard," I muttered to Virgil, feeling a wave of excitement from him despite his blase' expression. He really lived for thrills, didn't He?

We entered the shack, and there she sat atop a wooden stool facing away from us, as still as a statue. My breath caught in my throat as I was torn between relief and trepidation. The last time Fell tampered with her had been bad enough; what would be the result of three hours spent in his clutches?

I approached her slowly as Virgil retreated to the edge of the cramped space, puzzled by the strange, unfamiliar aura she was emitting. It was her, and yet not.

"Jericho, love... it's me. Are you alright?"

She was silent, unmoving except to turn her head slightly to acknowledge my presence. I placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Say something, love," I pleaded softly. After a few more moments, I took the initiative to walk around her to look at her face to face, kneeling down and taking her hands in mine as I looked up at her. My breath caught at what I saw within her gaze.

Her beautiful cerulean eyes were cold and compassionless where they would normally be brimming with light and warmth. Her lovely lips were set in a tight line, her delicate eyebrows tense. This expression, this aura...

This wasn't Jericho.

I stood hurriedly, backing away and raising my hand in a wordless threat. "Who are you? You are not Jericho!" I snarled angrily. The doppelganger that was seated before me simply tilted her lips up into a smirk that never would have found its way onto Jericho's face. She let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"You're right. I'm not Jericho as you know her; she's away at the moment," the girl who was not Jericho admitted calmly. She stood, walking over to me until her head was right in front of the hand I had poised to attack. She leaned forward, touching her forehead to my palm.

"I'm the original."


	95. Chapter 97

Dark's POV:

"No..." I breathed, my arm falling limply to my side. Jericho- no, _Anjali_ \- smiled, almost sweetly.

"Yes. You failed, Demon. You failed your Druid, as your kind is all too prone to do," she said without emotion.

"That's just rascist," Virgil quipped. Despite his flippant tone, I could hear an underlying note of worry- he knew exactly what Anjali meant. I addressed him without speaking:

' _ **Quiet. Go teleport to the others and tell them what happened and to Regroup.'**_

Virgil disappeared without a word or any indication that he had heard me. I turned my attention back to Anjali, who had crossed her arms.

"I do not appreciate being ignored, Demon."

"Quiet!" I growled, "I don't give a damn what you appreciate! Give Jericho back her body before I possess your mind and MAKE you!" I once again extended a hand, gripping her forehead in a threat to do just that. She sighed, unaffected.

"Believe you me that I would. But as I said, she is gone," Anjali said boredly. My heart nearly stopped at her words and her cruel tone. I squeezed her forehead, making her scowl.

"What do you mean, 'she is gone?'"

Mikhail's POV:

In any other situation, I would have found humor in the state of Amy, Mark, and Chica. They were collapsed in a heap atop a bed of grass Amy had grown (in the middle of the desert, no less) with Mark lying on his back, Chica and Amy using him as a pillow. The poor trio had run farther than any of us, unimpeded by obstacles as the rest of us were:

Wiishu and Marzia had to stop to help Sean, Felix and I were stopped by the Elves, and Dark, as we'd recently been informed, had found Jericho.

Or at least her body.

Refusing to dwell on the gruesome matter any longer until I had all the facts, I glanced around at the rest of the group. Amy, Mark and Chica were still on the ground. Felix and Wiishu were crouched beside Sean's unconscious form. Marzia was standing off to the side, seemingly lost in thought, while Virgil was standing next to me, not minding my silence one bit. For once, he looked serious.

"I'm sure she's fine," he said suddenly, breaking me out of my observations. He gave me a small, uncharacteristic smile that still managed to look gloomy.

"I know you're worried," he continued at my silence, "despite what a wet rag you are, I can see how much you care for her. But does she?"

I narrowed my eyes at the Djinn. "I beg your pardon?" I asked icily, wondering where he could be taking this. He cocked his head, examining my face.

"I know your type," he said, "A lone wolf who's seen enough shit to know how dangerous it is to let your guard down in this world, how foolish it is to trust anyone completely, to put any part of yourself on display. I know because I am one."

Despite how much his words hit home, I once again refrained from responding except to raise an eyebrow. He chuckled and gestured vaguely at my nonplussed expression.

"See? You just did it again. You've purposely made yourself hard to read. The only way I know you're not a damn robot is through your eyes, and even those are guarded."

I began to get annoyed. "And what incredible pearl did you gather from your vivisection of my lack of a personality?" I snapped.

"Nothing more than that. But listen, and listen closely, because what I'm about to tell you was gleaned from a century and a half of experience with betrayal and rejection."

Curious, I turned toward him to give him my full attention.

"Lighten the fuck up."

He smirked when my eyebrows shot up.

"...Before It's too late. Let yourself feel, let others see who you are. Talk to them," he gestured back towards the group, "And take an active roll in the game instead of just watching from the sidelines. Especially with Jericho. From the way you treat her, I'd say you've known her for nearly her whole life, am I right?"

I nodded slowly.

"Thought so. And yet, you aren't close to her at all. You've been hurt, I get it. You've probably done some of the hurting yourself. But if you don't come out of your crotchety old shell soon, you're gonna die on the inside before you die for real, old and alone. You get me?"

And with that, the Djinn disappeared, leaving me to ponder his profound advice. Felix walked up to take his place, nearly startling me. I turned back towards the eastern sky, avoiding his gaze by pretending to examine the horizon that Dark and... Anjali would soon emerge from.

"How much of that did you hear?"

He shrugged as he followed my gaze. Apparently he didn't feel like looking at me either.

"Just the last couple sentences, but I heard enough."

A few minutes passed as we stood there silently. I was the first to speak.

"Are you going to tell me what the Elves told you?" I asked him. He turned to me in surprise.

"They didn't tell you too? I saw two of them over by you before they disappeared, though." He said in confusion.

"No. All they did was prevent me from going to you," I told him, remembering the words of the Elves:

' _Be still, Reaper. We would speak with the Seether for a time.'_

Every time I had protested, they just repeated themselves. Eventually, they had disappeared without a warning. I had immediately run to my pseudo apprentice, but my questions were met with a resolute silence. Virgil ported to us soon after with the order to Regroup.

"Well?" I asked impatiently. He shook his head slowly.

"I'd rather wait... to be honest, I don't want to explain this twice."

I sighed, nodding. "Fine."

"Hey! They're back!" Came Wiishu's excited cry, causing us to follow where she was pointing. Mark and Amy scrambled to their feet, drawing a whine of protest from Chica. We all turned to watch the tiny figures in the distance grow rapidly.

The form I knew as Jericho was moving oddly; she looked as if she were running, but she would vanish and reappear a few yards ahead between each stride. She was flash-stepping, a Druid art that I had only ever read about. Beside her was the roiling cloud of shadows that was Dark, struggling to keep up.

The pair stopped in the midst of our motley crew, Dark reforming out of the shadows and backing away from Jericho- who was now Anjali- to stand with the rest of us. We stood before her, not knowing what to expect.

She drew herself up tall and crossed her arms, her posture exuding confidence. Her eyes were cold as she examined us, her face expressionless. When she spoke, her voice was as frigid as her deep cerulean gaze:

"I suppose we need to talk."


	96. Chapter 98

Mark's POV:

"I suppose we need to talk."

There was a tense pause. Chica began growling savagely, her hackles raised and fangs bared.

 ** _'Bad. Bad!'_**

For once, my adorable dog was every inch as terrifying and formidable as the armor that Wiishu gave her. I had to stop myself from growling with her, reminding myself that humans didn't do that. _Unless they're furries,_ I thought randomly.

The rest of us had varying degrees of trepidation, fear, or anger on our faces as we stared down the ancient Druid that was possessing our friend. None of us had the slightest clue what to do. Luckily, Mikhail stepped forward.

"The Druid Anjali, I pressume?" He asked tersely. I was impressed with his composure. Anjali inclined her head.

"Indeed," She said, just as withdrawn as Mikhail. Man, she sounded nothing like Jericho. She sounded older, more worn. Even her voice was deeper! "Are we going to talk here, or find shelter before we collapse from the heat?" She asked.

Dark wordlessly raised a hand, his shadows following his movement as he swung his arm in a wide arc above his head. We watched as a wide dome of solid black was formed over us, providing a cool spot of shade. It actually got slightly chilly, but it was better than the heat; I had been about ready to start stripping.

"There," Dark said, his expression murderous, "Now explain."

Anjali glared at him for a moment before doing as he asked. Only, instead of speaking, she too raised her hands, palms up. There was a sudden flood of confusing images and sounds filling my head that didn't make sense until the strange experience was over. I knew instinctively that these were Jericho and Anjali's memories from when she passed out to now. I saw everything through her eyes, felt her emotions like they were my own.

I felt sick to my stomach when I saw the part about her parent's torture. I gagged and nearly vomited when I saw the room of dead Druids through Jericho's eyes, and I almost screamed in anger at Fell's words and actions near the end. I collapsed to my hands and knees, slamming a fist into the ground as Jericho unknowingly slit her own throat, my tears soaking into the dry earth. And then it was over.

 _ **'Up.'**_ Chica whined loudly and nudged me, even though she was just as disturbed as me.

' ** _Up. Get up.'_**

I did as she asked, wiping my eyes hard as Amy helped me rise, grabbing my hand and squeezing. The other's reactions weren't far off from my own. Mikhail was facing away from us, head lowered visibly shaking with his hands gripped into tight fists at his sides. Felix had fallen like I had, and Marzia was standing over him as if seeing if he was okay.

Within the span of ten seconds after the forced vision ended, Dark let out a roar of anger and agony as he shot towards Anjali as if to attack. Her eyes flashed with a pure, ice blue light.

 **"توقف** **!"**

Dark was stopped mid leap, held in the air by an invisible force.

 **"دفع** **!"**

At her words, he was blown back twenty feet with a cry of pain, crashing to the ground in a spray of dirt. The shadow dome above us dissipated. Mikhail cursed and ran to Dark, helping him stand.

 ** _'BAD!'_** Chica snarled again. Her eyes flashed white, and I knew mine were flashing too. I actually did growl this time, even going so far as to bare my teeth. Anjali payed us no mind, once again crossing her arms.

"Shall we go?" 

Magic words: Arabic.

tawaquf: stop

Dafe: Thrust away


	97. Chapter 99

**_Anti's POV:_**

 _'Fell. Fell!'_ I tried to catch the older Demon's attention. We were flying through the desert at top speed away from the shack that held Anjali. The cloud of gold and black didn't stop or slow at my call, giving no indication of having heard me. Cursing, I sped up considerably, whipping around in front of Fell. He could have dodged or swooped up and over me, sure, but I knew he wouldn't; if I had the balls to try and stop him in his tracks, it was important.

Fell reformed and dropped lithely to the ground, looking both peeved and perplexed; it had been a long time since I'd asserted myself like that.

"...Yes?" He cocked his head. I decided to get right to the point.

"You're hiding something."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. I actually got a little irritated at his reaction; did he honestly think I was stupid enough not to notice? That I wouldn't call him out on it?

"Oh? And just what brought this on?" He asked, his expression neutral. My fists clenched involuntarily at my sides.

"Come on, cut the shit! 'Everything you stole from me?' Please. That's not something you say to just anyone; that's a _grudge_ , Fell. That's history that you aren't telling me about."

For a second, His only response was a guarded silence as he considered me thoughtfully.

"...And if I _am_ hiding something, Antioch? What then? Will you beat the answers out of me?" He inquired calmly. I growled in irritation. Why did he always sound so condescending?!

"No, of _course_ not," I ground out, "but I need to know, Fell; how do you _really_ know Anjali, and why was it important enough _not_ to tell me? And why did we just up and leave halfway through the job? I've known you for nearly _two millennia._ I think that's enough to constitute keeping me in the loop."

Once again, crickets. He seemed to be thinking about how much he should be telling me. I was ready to blow a gasket.

"What have you been hiding from me for _two thousand years?!"_ I yelled in frustration.

 ** _Dark's POV_**

"And just where are we going, _Anjali?_ What makes you think you can suddenly decide what we do?" I fumed lowly as I shook off the effects of her magic. Her dead eyes flicked to me.

"Two million years of experience evading Anshar, or Fell as you call him. You have my word that I will explain everything to the best of my ability once I am satisfied we are in a secure location," The ancient Druid said matter-of-factly. The rest of the group looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. Mikhail and I settled on glaring.

"Once again: where do you propose we go?" Mikhail asked tightly. I could tell he was struggling to keep his composure just as much as I was. The answer Anjali gave shocked us all:

"Ireland, of course." 


	98. Chapter 100

**_Dark's POV:_**

"...I beg your pardon?" Mikhail said, his bemusement overriding the scarring experience of Jericho's memories just enough for him to speak.

"I trust you are all familiar with the Ness Loch?" Anjali continued as if she had not heard the knight. Sean cocked his head.

"I think you mean the Loch Ness," he corrected her. Anjali shot him an irritated glance.

"No, Irishman. It is The Ness's Loch, the Nessik Lake; the dwelling place of the _Ness_."

"That's a myth and you know it," I scoffed, "that race of Mer died out long ago, millennia even."

"Do you want your mate back or not, _Demon_?" Anjali asked scathingly. "Believe you me that the Ness are alive and well. They are the only chance we have at saving your... _beloved_ ," she spat the last word as if just saying it soured her mouth. She waited to see if any of us would object to this course of action.

No one said a word. No one knew what _to_ say. This was a new experience for all of us, especially for Mikhail, Signe and I; on top of the unprecedented event of Anjali's appearance, we had just been informed that something we'd believed to be common knowledge our entire lives was a fallacy. Anjali nodded, satisfied by the lack of naysayers in the group.

"Let us depart, then. We will need a- what is the term? An aeroplane. Come," she said, turning and walking off without preamble towards Jerusalem twenty kilometers to the west. I slipped to the back of the group as they followed helplessly, unable to bear being in close proximity to the woman who was not Jericho. Mikhail fell silently into step beside me, likely thinking the same thing. The group began to whisper amongst themselves.

"...Do you think it's wise to trust her?" Mikhail asked me, eyeing Anjali's back warily, "there is a possibility that she may decide to keep Jericho's body to herself."

My jaw clenched involuntarily at the thought.

"We will see soon enough. We'll follow her for now; but when the time comes, we'll leave nothing to chance," I said Grimmly as I bore two holes into the ancient Druid's back with my gaze. As if she could feel my eyes on her, she glanced back, smirking at me out of the corner of her eye before turning away once more.

I was beginning to think I might like her even less than Fell.

I began linking with Signe, who was helping Sean stumble along on his unsteady feet, to tell her to be wary of Anjali's intentions. In my agitated state, I accidentally brushed against Mark's mind in the process as well as Chica's by extension. I nearly stopped walking altogether at what I saw going on between them.

 _ **'Well now...'**_

 _ **Mark's POV:**_

 _'...feely?'_

 _'No, not Feely. It's Feel- ix,_ ' I corrected patiently.

' _...Feel...ix.'_

 _'Yup! Okay, now who's this?'_ I asked, sending her a mental image of Sean. Chica immediately recognized him, but had to search for the name.

 _'Sean! Good Sean,'_ she said happily after a moment, ' _Good_ friend _Sean_."

I nodded, impressed at the new word. We went over the rest of everyone's names before moving on to colors, which I'd introduced yesterday.

I was really happy that Chica was learning English. It was weird at first; the night after that first connection, I got a real shock when I heard an unknown female voice say, ' _Good,'_ in my head right before I went to sleep. I had jumped out of bed, almost knocking Chica off. The voice sounded like an adult, but in the context of a kid.

After looking for the source of the noise for a couple minutes, I sat back down on the bed, running my hands through my hair and wondering if I was going crazy. I felt something nudging my leg and looked up to see Chica pawing my knee from the floor, cocking her head at me.

 _'Good? Chica pica? Puppy good?'_ The childish voice questioned worriedly. I dropped my hands to my lap, staring at her in shock.

"Ch-Chica...?" I whispered. I knew then, without a doubt, that she was the source of the voice.

We had spent the rest of the night experimenting. I would send her a word and have her repeat it, or send her a feeling and have her react. It was easily the weirdest and coolest experience of my life.

Back in the present, I sent Chica a picture of an apple.

' _Red_!' She exclaimed, sure of herself. I smiled, wishing I could tell the others about how amazing this thing was. But for some reason, Chica wanted to wait. After a day I figured out that she was shy about it, and wanted to get better before showing off. She was surprisingly fastidious.

' _Greeeen!'_

Man, this dog was great.

 ** _Felix's POV:_**

I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.

Why did we have to trust this bitch? Wasn't there any other option? God, this was frustrating. I looked at Mark by my side. He was smiling and muttering to himself, occasionally looking at Chica. I had a suspicion that he was somehow using his powers to communicate with his dog, but I didn't say anything; if he hadn't told us yet, then it wasn't my place to ask.

I looked to my other side, towards Sean, Wiishu and Amy. Sean was struggling to walk even with their help, almost looking as if he was sleep walking at some points. Both Mark and I had offered to help earlier, but after both of them made jabs about letting the girls handle it, we left it alone. I began to walk over to check on Sean when someone's hand found its way onto my shoulder.

"...Felix?"

I turned to see a nervous looking Marzia walking beside me. I raised an eyebrow in silent question, wondering what she could possibly want with me. Her last words to me had been pretty final after all:

 _"I will be leaving as soon as I am healed. Until then, we will stay out of each other's way, yes?"_

I had been poleaxed by her words. I honestly thought that any chances of an amicable relationship with her were crushed in that moment.

"Felix, I'm sorry," she said quickly. I raised both eyebrows this time.

"...what? What are you sorry for?" I asked in surprise. She looked towards her feet, watching the dust fly up around them as we walked.

"For everything. For the things I said to you. I am not..." She searched for the right words, "I am not the best with emotions. I am sorry," she repeated, still not meeting my eyes. I huffed out a little laugh.

"Oh believe me, with the bratty way I treated you before? Yeah. The things you said were well deserved," I said, looking down and scratching the back of my head. We were quiet for a moment before she held out a hand to me.

"May I extend an olive branch?" She smiled softly. I looked into her eyes and shook her proffered hand.

"Hm. Funny; I didn't know olive trees had thorns."

She laughed.


	99. Chapter 101

**_Sean's POV:_**

 _I writhed in pain, gasping for breath that wasn't there. My eyes opened and closed_ , _fluttering madly_ as _I seized, even though there was no change in the amount of light that I could see_. _Every single one of my senses besides touch were dulled; I_ _couldn't hear, I couldn't speak, I couldn't see... It was agony, I was burning, I was DYING-_

"Hey. Hey! You Okay? Sean!"

I jumped out of my skin as I was yanked violently back to the present. My eyes flew to Wiishu's wide and worried ones. She searched my face as the pain faded, wiping the sweat from my forehead with a cool damp towel.

I tried my best to calm down as my chest heaved, desperately chanting reassurance to myself that it wasn't real, it wasn't real, I'm okay now, it wasn't real...

"Sean. Sean, hey, look at me. No, look at me, I'm here, I'm right here with you," Wiishu echoed my frantic thoughts. She placed a soft hand on either side of my face, turning it toward her. I put my hands over hers and grasped them tightly as if to reassure myself that she was there as I kept my eyes on hers, focusing on her presence. She gave me a kind, yet sad smile that thinly veiled an air of concern.

"Feeling better, Irish?"

I nodded, weakly smiling back. "Yeah."

I felt a slight rumble that was accompanied by the surface I had just realized I was lying on shaking lightly. I belatedly noticed my foreign surroundings, Looking around in confusion.

I was lying down on a ridiculously plush white bed, tucked in under big feather down comforters and propped up on a pillow of the same material. The room was tan and white and without furnishings to decorate the diminutive space. The only light in the room was coming from behind my head. I bent my head up and back and was shocked to see clouds rushing past a window at top speed through a brilliant blue sky. All of this was accompanied by a soft whining hum that made me think of a...

"Wiishu, are we... Are we on an airplane?" I asked when I finally returned my eyes to her. She laughed at my confusion.

"Yeah. Virgil disappeared for awhile, but when he came back he ended up teleporting us all the way to a private runway outside Jerusalem one by one where we highjacked yet another resistance craft. He's been asleep for almost as long as you have; it was pretty draining," she said in an admiring tone.

"And just how long have I been asleep?" I asked.

"A little under twenty one hours," Wiishu answered in a flippant tone, as if it were no big deal. My jaw dropped so fast that it actually kind of hurt.

"Twenty one hours?! Jesus, that's a whole day!" I exclaimed. She shrugged before brightening up considerably as if remembering something. Before I could ask, she held up a finger to tell me to wait and closed her eyes, still grinning.

Moments later, I heard a huge racket from somewhere outside the door that seemed to be getting rapidly closer. Wiishu winked and disappeared just before the door to the room burst open to reveal two excited blurs, one human sized and one a two and a half foot golden ball of fluff. I let out an involuntary oof as Mark and his goofy dog tackled me. Mark had the good grace to aim to the side, but Chica? Nope. Right on my chest, showering me with wet kisses as she whined and growled excitedly.

"Ah! Oh Jesus- frickin- _Chicaaaa_!" I groaned, stretching my neck up to try and avoid being licked on the mouth. Mark laughed loudly at my predicament while Felix stood just inside the door, grinning his bearded head off.

"Welcome back, you fuckin' leprechaun."

 _ **Dark's POV:**_

Mikhail sat back in his seat, loosely crossing his legs and lacing his hands together, deep in thought. I waited patiently for his reaction. His eyes finally flicked back to mine.

"...This is preposterous, Dark. Unprecedented."

I cocked my head at him, slightly amused. "Really Mikhail; out of all the impossible things we've seen recently, is the existence of a talking dog the hardest to accept?"

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "As a matter of fact, yes. None of the others ever sounded quite this ridiculous," he replied, sounding like a grade school teacher with a migraine, "And why exactly am I hearing this from you instead of Mark?"

I chuckled. "The dog is apparently shy."

"...of _course_ she is."

"Ayo!" Chirped Signe as she appeared suddenly in the seat beside Mikhail, making him jump and then growl.

"Signe..." he said warningly.

"Yeah, whatever," the Witch said flippantly, waving away whatever he was going to say with a dismissive hand, "What was that I heard about a talking dog?!" She asked excitedly. I got up quickly before Mikhail could.

"I'll let our resident knight explain," I said, volunteering Mikhail for Signe duty as I was already walking away. Mikhail sighed once more and began to relay to Signe what I had told him.

I continued down the hallway to the back of the plane. The layout was very similar to the last private jet we'd comandeered. past the private bedroom section, where I heard loud laughter and barking. Deciding there was no way I was going anywhere near that racket, I headed further towards the back of the plane to the kitchens, hoping to find alcohol or spirits of some sort. I had just begun rummaging through the cupboards when I happened upon the very _last_ thing  
That I had been looking for:

"Hello, Demon."

I tensed and straightened, turning to regard the ancient Druid stiffly.

"Anjali," I acknowledged without emotion. I hated looking at her. Everything about her was just... _wrong_. Despite the fact that she shared Jericho's features, they still looked nothing like one another. Anjali held herself taller, had less emotion in her eyes. Even her voice sounded different; slightly deeper and more intimidating as well as slower and more calculated, as if she considered each word carefully before it left her mouth.

I hated it. As long as it wasn't Jericho in that body, I would hate everything about it.

"What do you want?" I asked stiffly. She watched me for a moment, sizing me up with her calculating gaze. She then brushed past me, nudging my shoulder along the way, and walked towards the lounges near the plane's bar. She turned and sat, giving me a look as she did so that said she expected me to follow suit.

I obstinantly remained standing, but decided to stay to see what she wanted. Her eyes flashed in annoyance at my wordless refusal to comply, but she said nothing about it.

"I have looked through Jericho's memories of you. It would seem that she loves you very much," Anjali said conversationally, drumming her fingertips on the arm of the chair she lounged in. I nodded slowly.

"Yes. As I love her," I replied.

"Do you really?" She asked blandly, her flat tone revealing nothing of her thoughts. I nodded once again, this time answering without hesitation.

"Yes."

Anjali's fingers stopped their light rapping as she went completely still at my words, her face still expressionless and dead.

Before I even had time to blink, she had suddenly flash stepped right in front of me, her arms around my neck and her body pressed to mine in an intimate lover's embrace. I tensed, stepping back and gripping the counter behind me so hard it began to crack. She followed my retreat, keeping her achingly familiar body molded firmly to mine. I forced myself to hold back from throwing her off so as not to hurt Jericho's body in the process. I hissed in anger, gathering my power and flaring my aura in a wordless warning.

And then she lifted her face to mine.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her, my aura disappating with the shock. This time, I had to grip the counter to keep from returning her embrace. She was looking up at me with a tender smile, her eyes sparkling into mine in an all too familiar way.

 _"Dark..."_

I shuddered and closed my eyes against the sound; that was Jericho's voice. I began to tremble, turning my face away and taking in a deep, shaky breath as I tried to ignore her sweet scent.

 ** _"Don't,"_** I ground out painfully, struggling to keep my voice steady against the onslaught. It was almost too much to bear; she was probably drawing on Jericho's own personality and emotion to complete the illusion. She paused before laying her cheek against my chest, her ear over my seizing heart. We stayed there for at least a full minute.

And then she was gone. I let go of the counter with one hand, putting it over my eyes instead as I lowered myself to the floor, trying and failing to breathe.

I didn't know why Anjali pulled that little stunt, and frankly I couldn't have cared less. The only things I knew for certain was that she would pay for using my love for Jericho against me so cruelly. There had to be a way to separate their personalities; and once I found a way, I wouldn't hold anything back.

 _ **Virgil's POV:**_

This was way too fucked up, even for my tastes.

I was laying on my cot still- or at least my body was. I was in astral form, roaming the plane unseen while my body recharged itself.

I wanted to step in and help Dark with the Druid bitch, I really did. But there was no way I'd be able to take that mess on, especially in my current state. I cringed in rare sympathy as I watched Dark fairly crumble to the ground in the wake of Anjali's cruelty. I shook my incorporeal head, making my way back towards the room that held my body.

Mikhail and Wiishu would want to hear this.


	100. Chapter 102

**_Mark's POV:_**

"Okay, Okay! Jesus, get offa me!" Sean laughed, shoving at me and Chica as Felix laughed from the doorway.

 **"Good Sean!"**

Said Chica happily as she got off of him and curled up next to him instead. I got off the bed, still grinning, when I noticed Felix and Sean looking at me oddly. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"What?"

My friends shared a glance. "What did you say just now?" Felix asked, "just before you got up?"

"I didn't think I said anything," I said, trying hard to remember. What were they so worked up about...?

"Uh... the thing about 'good Sean?' The heck was that?" Sean crossed his arms, "your voice got all pitchy. It was weird."

I froze and looked at Chica.

'Wait. I thought that was you,' I thought. Chica looked sheepish, tucking her nose between her paws.

'Sorry,' she said simply. I understood then; She had accidentally used my mouth in her excitement. I didn't even know that could happen...

'Chica sorry Mark,' she said again, but I sent her reassurance. Suddenly, I was pulled out of the link by Felix snapping his fingers in front of my face. I shook my head a bit in order to clear it.

"Uh... sorry, what?" I asked dumbly. Felix mimicked Sean, folding his arms over his chest and raising one eyebrow.

"Uh... sorry, what?" He mocked, doing a better impression of me than I'd care to admit, "Come on, you know what! Why haven't you told us that you can talk to Chica?"

My eyebrows nearly shot off my forehead. "Wait-"

 **'Felix. Sean.'**

Both of the men in question froze at the feminine, childish voice in all three of our heads, turning slowly to Chica.

"What the..." Felix whispered.

 **'Hello. hi,'** said Chica, still looking sheepish, **'How you...how do...How DID Felix DO?'** Chica finally managed to ask, a slight feeling of pride in her accomplishment emanating from her.

Felix blinked once, then twice. "Uh... well, Mark kept muttering to himself and sometimes at you. It wasn't too hard to figure out... I guess..." he said slowly, staring at Chica like she was... well. Like she was a talking dog.

"Dude, this is nuts!" Sean whispered. Chica licked his face and huffed.

 **'Not nuts.'**

"Uh, yeah, it kind of is," Sean retorted, "You do know you're the first animal to communicate with a human, right?" He raised an eyebrow. Chica paused, looking around at all of us before huffing again.

 **'...Not nuts.'**

We all chuckled despite ourselves.

"Hey, does this mean that you'll start, like, growling and barking?" Felix asked.

"You guys are taking this surprisingly well. And yeah, I've had to hold myself back a couple times," I laughed, scratching the back of my head. Chica snorted and shook her head from side to side.

 **'Stupid.'**

"But humans don't bark!" I protested. She responded with a light growl.

 **'Dogs don't speak,"** she huffed snootily, turning up her nose and looking away. Felix whistled.

"Someone's salty," he whispered to me.

"But seriously dude, what's the reasoning behind not telling us?" Sean asked, reaching a hand out to run it through Chica's fur, "I gotta admit, it's disconcerting to say the least, and I don't know how the hell Felix figured it out, but what's the deal?"

I glanced at Chica, who was still pointedly looking away from me. I sighed. "She was just shy. She didn't want you to know until she got better because she didn't want to be embarrassed," I admitted. Chica barked loudly, whipping her head back around to glare at me.

 **'Bad Mark!'**

"Sorry, Chica. But guys, don't tell everyone else, it's bad enough that-"

"Might be a bit late for that," interrupted a voice from beyond the door. Not a moment later, in walked a sheepish Marzia and Amy. I facepalmed so hard that I saw stars. Chica whined and hid her face in her paws again. Amy laughed nervously.

"Sorry, but I heard a new voice in my head and brought Marzia along to check it out, thinking it might be an intruder... I wasn't expecting it to be... uh..." she motioned to Chica, unable to voice it. Chica whined and rolled over onto her back, leaning against Sean.

 **'Bad, bad,'** she said as Sean comforted her. I crossed my arms, trying not to whine with her.

"Great. So who else knows?" I asked irritably.

'We do.'

'We do.'

 _'Sup.'_

All of us jumped in surprise at the four separate unexpected responses to my rhetorical question. Mikhail, and Wiishu had answered in unison, shortly followed by Virgil.

 _'When your dog started talking to all three of you at once, she accidentally broadcasted to the entire plane,'_ Virgil's voice explained dryly, _'so the cat's out of the bag. Or the dog in this case.'_

I turned and let my head thump against the wall. I was so done.

"Fine. Anyone else?" I asked tiredly.

 _ **'...I was listening as well.'**_

This time I really did growl. "I was being sarcastic, _Dark!"_ I shouted at the ceiling since I didn't know where he was. All I got in response was a vague feeling of amusement.

 _'It doesn't matter. I need every idiot on this *party line to meet Signe and I in the foyer as soon as possible,'_ Mikhail broadcasted, _'There are more important things to discuss than Mark's pet.'_

 **'Not** ** _Pet!'_** Chica snorted, insulted beyond measure, **'Friend!'**

There was a collective 'awwww' from everyone save Dark, Mikhail, and Virgil, who gagged dramatically.

 _'Now,'_ Mikhail sent us in a deadly serious tone.

A couple minutes later, we were all seated in the fancy foyer of the plane, with Mikhail standing and facing the rest of us. Chica was sitting in Sean's lap, glancing at me saucily every once in a while. I tried to avoid her accusing eyes; I knew I'd be in for it later.

Oddly enough, Jeric- I mean Anjali was no where to be seen, but no one commented on it.

"Felix, if you'll come stand with me," Mikhail said. Felix sighed and obeyed immediately, something he would normally never do for Mikhail. What could this meeting be about?

"You know, this feels suspiciously like a trial," Felix said when he reached Mikhail. He turned to address all of us without waiting for a response from his teacher.

"Okay, I already know what this is about, so listen up," Felix said in as serious a tone I'd ever heard from him.

"When we were searching for Fell and Anti after they kidnapped Jericho, Mikhail and I ran into some trouble; Elves. And not the Christmas kind, either.

"No fuckin' way, dude!" I whispered excitedly to Sean, "Elves?!"

Sean didn't share my excitement. "It's nothing to be excited about. They're mostly benign, but whenever they come out of hiding, it's because they have a message. And it's never good," Sean whispered back to me, sobering me up.

"Anyway, they said some pretty prophetic shit that you all need to hear," Felix continued.

 _ **Flashback**_  
(Mostly because I don't feel like explaining this again)

 _"Anjali's emergence is essential to restoring balance to our world,"_ the white Elf stated, " _Anjali must fade in order to restore the natural order. She must emerge before she can fade away. It is necessary."_

"Wait, doesn't that mean that the runes she's hiding are going to be exposed? Won't that free the Demons from their vessels?" I asked in confusion.

 _"It is not so. The Fallen one believes that he will be freed by the runes, as the clever Anjali has led him to. Though it is still true that there is great power to be gained from breaking the seal, the Demon's binding is permanent. This was not the true purpose of the runes."_

"Then what was it?"

 _"The runes are not to bind the Demons, but the lost Druids. The many sisters that Anjali betrayed in her lust for revenge."_

 _ **Flashforward:**_

We were all silent in the wake of Felix's bombshell, which was more like a warhead given the circumstances.

"So you're telling us that Anjali taking over Jericho's body... was a good thing?" Wiishu asked in confusion. Chica growled, not liking the idea at all.

Felix shrugged. "Listen, I'm just telling you what they said. I don't know whether it's-"

"It's true," Dark interrupted, "the Seelie's words are _always_ true. Isn't that right, Anjali?" 

*Party line definition:

 _A party line was a system in the 1960's - 1980's where several telephone subscribers were connected to the same land line, so they could technically listen in on their neighbor's phone conversations._

 _In order to determine who was supposed to receive a call you had be attentive to the ringing pattern assigned to your household. If you wanted to call someone within the same party line, you cranked a magneto in your phone to produce the required ringing pattern._


	101. Chapter 103

Jericho's POV:

Again. It was happening again.

I was once again floating in the soundless, sightless, lightless void that had become almost familiar. I'd experienced this so many times that it was no longer a novelty, no longer shocking or fear inducing. Not that I could feel either of those here; there was only the vague notion of what I should be feeling, but wasn't.

This time was a little different, though. I felt like... less. Like I wasn't exactly me. I didn't really know exactly who I was in the first place.

Where did I come from?

Where was I going?

Did I even know my name?

...No. I didn't.

The only memories I had were of this void; I was here. I had always been here. I would always be here. This was all there was. It would have been a depressing thought if not for the fact that the ability to be depressed escaped me.

Suddenly, the feeling (or lack thereof) faded, replaced by a stark fridgidity that was bitingly painful. It felt like I was suddenly thrust into the middle of a blizzard, snow and ice pelting my face at top speeds.

And then I was falling, the freezing upward draft burning my skin. It didn't burn near as much as when I hit the ground though, sinking into a frosty bed of snow at least two feet deep. My breath was knocked away as I saw stars, struggling to inhale as I spat out the fluffy white substance.

When I could finally breathe again, I pushed myself up off the frozen ground with difficulty, wincing at how my muscles creaked and groaned, as if I'd been laying in the same position for hours. I stood to observe my surroundings as I shivered violently in the cold. Where was I?

I was in a gloomish forest, surrounded by tall, Dark trees that were laden heavily with snow to the point that their branches bent and creaked. There was a clear path through the trees that stretched before and behind me. With nothing better to do, I picked a direction and followed it, hugging myself for warmth.

I hadn't gotten more than ten feet when I heard a shuffle break through the silence of the frozen woods. I whirled around, scanning for the source of the noise. There was nothing there but footprints that ran across the path and off into the woods again.

I started running.

I heard another shuffle behind me, louder this time, and closer. I saw a flash of shadow dart across my peripheral vision, forcing me to tamp down on a shriek. I pressed on faster.

The scene suddenly shifted. City streets. Running through the aching cold. Fear. That man...

And then the vision was gone. I didn't realize that I'd stopped moving until I heard a voice behind me, a male.

"Human..."

I stiffened. It was close. Too close.

"Don't you know how to greet a new pal...?"

The snow crunched as he took a step towards me.

"Turn around... and shake my hand," the voice commanded flatly. I turned around slowly, setting eyes on the person for the first time. Their face was hidden in the dense shadow of a tree. Their gloved hand was extended. I slowly reached out, grasping the proffered limb, when-

PFFFFFFFFF...

An unbelievably loud and ridiculously long raspberry-like noise echoed through the calm, snowy twilight, making my eyes fly open and my eyebrows shoot upward.

"Hehehe...the ol' whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's ALWAYS funny," the person before me said, their shoulders shaking with laughter. I took my hand back and stepped away, so disconcerted that I even forgot how cold I was. The person stepped into the light.

My jaw dropped.

"Anyways, you're a human, right? That's hilarious!" Said the honest to goodness, real life, walking and talking, skinless skeleton standing before me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He was stocky and short and bundled in extensive winter-wear that only made him look rounder. I didn't know skeletons could look round. Did they even get cold?

"I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton," the person- Sans said. He held out his hand once again, shrugging and putting it back in his pocket when I didn't take it. He grinned, making me wonder how a skeleton could pull that off.

"I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. But...you know..." he shrugged again, "I don't really care about capturing anybody. Now my brother on the other hand..." he rolled the weird white lights in his eyesockets that seemed to serve as eyes before he suddenly stopped, looking at something over my shoulder.

"Oh hey, that's actually him over there!" He looked at me as if just realizing something. "Yeah... we gotta hide you. Here, I have an idea, follow me!"

With that, he turned and bustled off through the deep snow, not looking back to see if I followed. Which I did; what other choice did I have? I followed him to another clearing. There was a broken down shack and a giant, person sized lamp sitting half embedded in the snow. Sans grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the light furnishing.

"Okay, quick! Behind that conveniently shaped lamp!" He said, pushing me behind it and walking around the other side.

"Sup bro?" I heard Sans say.

"You know what 'sup' brother!" Screeched a new voice that was nowhere near as chill as Sans, "It's been eight days and you still haven't recalibrated your puzzles!! You just sit around outside your station! What have you been doing ALL DAY?!?!" The newcomer shouted. Jesus he was loud. His voice made me want to gouge out my ear drums.

"Staring at this lamp," Sans replied nonchalantly, "It's really cool, you wanna look?"

My eyes widened. Was he serious?! What did he think he was doing?

"What? No!! I don't have time for that!!" Screeched the other one, making me wince, "What if a HUMAN comes through here!?! I want to be READY!! I will be the one! I MUST be the ONE!! I will capture a human and be lauded and applauded like I utterly deserve!!" His voice turned dreamy. "I will finally be able to join the royal guard!" He sighed.

"Hm. Maybe this lamp will help you, Papyrus," said Sans. I ground my teeth together.

"SANS!!! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!!! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND... AND BOONDOGGLE!!!! YOU'VE GOTTEN LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!!!!" Papyrus screamed.

"Hey, take it easy! You're wearing out the capital letters," Sans chuckled.

"What?"

"What?"

"And besides, I've gotten a TON of work done today. A skele-TON," Sans joked lightly.

"SANS!"

"Aw come ooooon, you're smiling!" Sans pointed out, an audible smile in his tone.

"I am and I hate it! Why is being your brother so much wearisome..." Papyrus lamented dramatically.

"Wow. Sounds like you're working yourself... down to the bone," Sans said. There were crickets from Papyrus, though I had to cover my mouth to hold back my own giggles.

"And don't worry, I'll put a little more backbone into my work," the diminutive skeleton teased once more.

"I'M LEAVING!!" Yelled Papyrus. I heard snow crunching loudly beneath what I assumed were bony feet like sans' since they were brothers. I didn't come out immediately.

"...Okay you can come out now," assured Sans. When I poked my head out from behind the randomly placed lamp, he was by the small wooden shack. He motioned me over.

"There's some extra jackets, coats, gloves, hats... well, etcetera, etcetera, you get the point. Anyway, go ahead and pick out anything you need from in here," he said, sweeping his arm towards the door gallantly. I rushed into the shack without further questions, nearly crying with relief at the winter wear I found there. A lot of it was insulated with fur and wool, and I instantly felt warmer. I sighed as I finally began warming up a bit after a couple minutes.

"Yeah, You'd better get going," said my savior, leaning against the door frame of the shack.

"He might come back. And if he does..." Sans winked (how did a skeleton even do that??) "you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

And with that, he was gone, whistling a merry tune as he ambled off down the icy road without a care in the world. I blinked after him.

How in the world did a skeleton whistle???

I saw something sparkle cheerily out of the corner of my eye, drawing my attention away from Sans' receding form. There, by my feet, was a little yellow ball of light suspended above the snow. I crouched down, examining it curiously.

Suddenly, the yellow light shot towards me, hitting me in the chest and making me flinch back, falling into the snow. But instead of an impact like I expected, I watched in amazement as it sunk into my chest, through the layers of fabric.

I'm suddenly assaulted by a vision.

I'm running towards a smiling man, his arms held out to me as he bends to my height. I get the impression that I'm much, much shorter than I am in the present. I tackle him as he sweeps me up off the ground into a spinning hug, making me squeel. A woman's face pops over his shoulder and makes a funny face. I bat at her hands, shrieking with laughter as she starts tickling me.

"Mooooommyyyy!!"

I come back to myself, shaking my head to clear it. Was that a memory? Were those... my parents? Even as I asked myself the question, I could feel the rightness of it. I felt like a piece of me that I didn't even know I was missing had fallen into place. I still didn't feel quite whole, but it was enough for now.

I felt a little less cold as I continued on my way, filled with determination.


	102. Chapter 104

Dark's POV:

"The Seelie's words are always true. Isn't that right, Anjali?" I asked, not bothering to turn to look at the Druid I was addressing like everyone else was prompted to do. I knew that if I did turn around, I would see the glamour she was using to hide herself shimmer and fall away like an intangible blanket.

"Yes," she replied in the silence that accompanied my question. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"And why," I said slowly, tamping down on my aura to try and keep myself calm, "did you not deign to inform us of this before now?"

There was no answer. Only the sound of the plane's engines and the collective bating of breath as the others watched our tense exchange. I waited, forcing myself to be patient; the last thing we needed was a Paranormal duel three thousand feet above the earth. After roughly a minute, she finally responded.

"...Because Jericho is still picking up the debris," she said softly. This time, I actually did stand and turn.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mikhail demanded sharply before I could. Anjali's expression was as icy as ever.

"Her subconscious was shattered in the wake of Fell's meddling. The damage was severe, but not irreparable. She still yet resides in this body with me, but only just. I decided it was too dangerous to tell you of this for fear that you would try to wrest her fragile spirit back to the forefront of our shared mind. This would likely destroy us both," she said gravelly, looking at each of our suspicious faces.

"It's true that the Ness can help Jericho repair herself, yes; but the majority of the journey must be left to Jericho herself. If you try to assist her, the consequences will be dire."

A grim silence fell over the cabin, a mixture of resentment for Anjali's secrecy and the realization that we were woefully unable to help Jericho. I had a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Is that answer to your satisfaction?" Anjali asked stonily, her somber tone disappearing. None of us answered as she walked out of the room, leaving us to our doomish thoughts. Three full minutes crawled quietly by; even Virgil looked uncharacteristically solemn.

Mikhail cleared his throat suddenly, making some of the group jump.

"Loafing off and bemoaning our situation will do Jericho no good," he said, walking away to the back of the plane," we land in a little under an hour; be ready to hit the ground running."

Jericho's POV:

The last couple hours had been weird.

First, I ran into Papyrus and Sans again and was forced to run through Papyrus' doofy electric maze. Then, Sans 'tried' to 'confound me' with a word search, but to be honest, I didn't think he could really try at anything. After that, I progressed effortlessly through a bunch of different traps and puzzles masterminded by the "GREAT PAPYRUS," as he insisted on calling himself.

What was with these people? ...I mean skeletons.

As I ambled along dutifully, moving for the sake of moving, I saw what looked like a white-ish figure a little ways off the path. Upon investigating, I found that it wasn't a person, but a snow sculpture of a woman.

Her smooth white features looked youthful, with an elven air to them that made her look a bit exotic. Her hair was blocky and rough, but I could tell that it was long and wavy. There were sourceless water tracks running down her face from her eyes that didn't melt her eyes or the snow around them. All I could think was that she looked extremely familiar.

I jumped back with a strangled cry when her head moved slowly to turn to me.

"Hello traveller," her mouth moved oddly, like a claymation film.

"Uh...Hello...?" I said unsurely.

"I am a snow sculpture."

"...I can see that," I said. "Why are your eyes leaking?"

Her head tilted to the side with a soft 'shhh' sound. If it weren't so unnatural, her befuddlement would be almost cute. "Haven't you ever seen someone cry before?"

"Not a snow sculpture. Why are you crying?" I asked. Her head tilted downward.

"Because I want to see the world, but I can't move, being made of ice and snow..." she said sadly. She looked up at me again as if she had an idea.

"But maybe you could help me, traveller."

"Me?" I asked doubtfully, "how?"

"Here. Take my hand," the snow woman said excitedly. Or as excited as a snow sculpture could sound. Confused, I reached out to take the hand she was holding out to me, grasping it lightly so I wouldn't crumble the snow. She shook her head slowly with a whispering 'shhh-shhh.'

"No traveller, you misunderstand me; take it. Pull my hand off my arm and take it with you."

"What?! Why??" I exclaimed, yanking my own hand back. A faint, wistful smile made its way onto her face.

"So that I can see the world with you as you make your way... Or at least so a part of me can. Please, it won't hurt," she begged, "I am made of snow, after all."

She looked so helpless and sad and hopeful that there was no way I could refuse. Shutting my eyes and turning my face away, I once again reached out and clasped her freezing hand in my own and pulled before I lost my nerve. It snapped off at the wrist with a crack that made me wince. I looked back at the woman to find that she had vanished.

I felt an odd warmth emanating from where her hand still held onto mine tightly. I stared in wonder as it appeared to turn into solid glass or ice, shining from within with an eerily familiar blue light. It suddenly shattered into a million shining pieces, making me jump as the shimmering cloud of dust floated to the ground.

I didn't have more than a second to wonder at the phenomenon before my sight went white;

I'm small again, not as little as last time, but enough to notice a difference. I'm sitting on my royal blue and black bed- I never liked pink- bawling my eyes out. I wiped frantically at the tears, but they just kept coming. I eventually gave up, burying my face in my stuffed donkey, Patches, letting my tears soak into the soft plush.

"...Ms.Winters."

I lifted my face out of Patches' side just enough to peak over towards the door to my room. Mister Ikard was standing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised in question. I buried my face back into one of my only friends in the whole wide world.

"Mommy and daddy aren't here right now, Mister Ikard. They're at a meeting," I said, my voice scratchy and funny sounding from my stuffed nose. I heard a gruff, 'hm' from him.

"Well. I wasn't aware of this, my apologies for the intrusion."

I just sniffled in response. I expected him to leave, but I felt the bed move a little, telling me he sat down on the other side.

"First of all, my name is Doctor Ikard. Not Mister," he corrected me for the bazillionth time, softer than he normally did, "And secondly... What could have a bright young second grader like yourself in such distress?"

I peeked over patches again. "Why do you care?" I asked in a muffled sulk, "you're always a meanie to me."

I knew mommy would say I wasn't being nice, but I didn't feel like being nice. Mister Ikard sighed like daddy did when I argued with him.

"I'm wounded, Miss Winters," he said in his grumpy voice. He still didn't leave, looking away from me to examine my coloring pages that we hung on the wall. I turned away too, throwing myself face down on my pillow so I wouldn't have to look at his stupid face.

"Go away."

"No."

"Fine. But I'm not talking to you," I grumbled into my pillow, sniffling again to try and clear my nose.

"I am well versed in the language of silence, Miss Winters. Take as long as you like," he said, sounding like he wanted to laugh a little. I whipped my head around to squint my eyes at him as menacingly as I could.

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked suspiciously. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me from the side.

"Why, certainly not. But if there's nothing for me to do here, I may just go rooting through the kitchen cabinets for a snack. Those strawberry pop tarts sound quite tempting."

"Hey!" I sat up and threw my pillow at him, which he caught easily, "those are mine!"

He half smiled. "I'm glad to see you're done sulking."

I stopped for a second. I had stopped crying, and my nose was starting to clear up.

"Can you tell me what's wrong now, or do you still want the meanie to go away?" He asked. I shook my head, looking down.

"Nah... you can stay, I guess," I mumbled.

"We were playing Naruto at recess and I got stuck playing Sakura. I'm ALWAYS Sakura. Everyone knows she's weakest character!" I lamented.

"...I wouldn't know."

"When I tried to play sasuke, Ashton said I couldn't because Sasuke wasn't a girl. So I said that Ashton was a girl's name- Ashton is a boy," I stopped to clarify. He nodded.

"And then he pushed me and said I was stupid, and I pushed him back, but when I pushed him, he flew like five feet!" I held up five fingers, "And the... the..." I started to sniffle again. Mister Ikard quietly handed me a pack of tissues.

"And the other kids are afraid of me now! Ashton broke his arm because of me," I put my face in my hands.

"Hm. Sounds like quite a spot of trouble you've gotten yourself into," Mister Ikard mused. I nodded miserably, grabbing patches again to hug him tight.

"What do I do?" I asked. He thought for a second.

"Nothing. The way I see it, that broken arm was well deserved. Being called stupid is a dire insult to one so intelligent," he said. I perked up a bit.

"Really? I'm smart?" I asked.

"...Relatively."

I pouted. "Meanie."

He raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. "The important thing to remember is that you aren't stupid, and you can be anything you want to be. I know that, your parents know that, and you have to know that too. If the other children don't see it, if they are afraid," he waved a hand through the air like he was swatting a fly, "so be it."

He got up and walked towards the door. "Now about those poptarts..."

I threw patches at him, and he reached his hand behind his head and caught it without looking. Wow. He tossed my toy back to me.

"I jest, Miss Winters. I hope you feel better in the morning," he said as he walked out the door and turned into the hallway.

"...You're still a meanie!"

"I know."

...Doctor... Ikard...?

Yes, that was right. He was another important person. First my parents, then Doctor Ikard. my earliest memories to my elementary school years, remembering everything little by little... I felt like I was rebuilding myself. When would I know my own name?

...it was time to move forward.


	103. Chapter 105

What... were those...?

I had been walking through the snowy, purgatorial forest for what seemed like hours, with no signs of life anywhere. I'd come to accept the stillness as the norm, so I eventually stopped looking around and just focused on the ground at my feet as I shuffled along, uninterested in my monotonous surroundings.

Which is why I didn't notice the creature in front of me until I smacked into it and fell on my butt, the feathered thing in front of me doing the same.

I looked up to see two five and a half foot fluffs of blue feathers helping their friend up off the ground.

"HeY! WaTcH WhErE yOu'Re GoIn', PuNk!" One of them squawked in a weird gravelly gobble, like a slow motion parrot.

"Oh geez, sorry! I didn't even-"

"YoU LoOkIn' fOr A fIgHt, KiD?!?" The one I'd bumped into asked menacingly as he shoved his feathered face right up to mine, beak to nose.

"What? No, of course not-" I tried to explain, backing up quickly.

"ToO bAd!"

They lunged straight for me, forcing me to turn tail and run.

"Wait, no! I was just...!" My words were cut off as I dodged a flurry of snowballs shooting at me from the thing's mouth. What the heck?

"What even ARE you guys?!" I yelled as I ran in a zig zag pattern to avoid the rapid fire projectiles.

"ArE yOu StUpId? We'Re SnOwDrAkEs!!" Screeched one of my pursuers before vomiting snowballs at me again. One of them exploded against my shin, feeling like someone just swung a mace at my leg.

"Shitshitshitshitshiiiiit...!" I chanted. The question about the horse sized ducks or the duck sized horses flashed randomly through my head for one ridiculous moment.

I dove behind a tree to avoid another round of icy projectiles, nearly faceplanting spectacularly in the snow as they shouted grade-schooler insults at me:

"PaNsY!"

"ScaReDy CaT!"

I darted from tree to tree in the same fashion, trying and failing to keep track of my footing. Suddenly, there was a silvery glint from the snow to my right. I leaned down and snatched it up on impulse as I ran. A knife! It was a simple kitchen knife that looked like a little pairing knife, but it would do. I whirled around, brandishing the diminutive weapon. The Snowdrakes stopped suddenly, cocking their heads first to one side, and then the other...

And then laughing.

I stared in confusion, dropping my arm a little. Of all the reactions I could have hoped to see, that was not what I would have expected. I thought I looked pretty menacing.

"HahAhHaaHa! A pLaStIc KnIfE! ShE's GoT a PlAsTiC KnIfe!" One of them gasped breathlessly through his laughter.

What?

Puzzled, I looked down at my weapon. It shone like metal, but upon running my finger across the edge... Yup. Plastic.

I looked back up at my pursuers, who had stopped laughing and were closing in on me with menacing looks on their blue feathered faces. I gave a nervous chuckle as I backed into a tree. They opened their beaks, shooting snowballs straight for my face with three menacing squawks. I closed my eyes and threw up my hands...

Suddenly, a bright flash of white light beyond my closed eyelids made my eyes shoot open. I was still standing in a forest, but this one was greenly and lush, brimming with life... and yet strangely silent. There was no sign of any breathing thing except for three women cowering on the ground before me, with platinum hair and porcelain skin like mine. They looked terrified beyond measure, trembling and wide eyed. Were they afraid of...me?

I was struck with an unexpected rush of savage satisfaction that surprised me, as if I were somehow feeling emotions that weren't mine. I felt my mouth move and speak involuntarily:

"Sisters... my sisters. Though I called for you countless times, this is our first meeting in over a year. I begged, I pleaded, I screamed for aid, and yet none came." I leveled my glowing weapon at their shivering forms, not a plastic knife, but a bladed staff.

"What have you to say for yourselves?"

"A-Anjali, we thought... w-we thought you would g-grow to love him, given a little time. We only-"

"I already had a love!!" I screamed, making them flinch violently away. My staff shone with a threatening light, my voice thrumming with power.

"Anshar is cruel, you know this! You ABANDONED ME!!"

"Our sisters will come for us-" one of the fair women began.

"Any bound Druids have been sealed away, Xion. All that is left is you, the unbound," I said quietly, pausing to let my words sink in, to see the horror find its way onto their elvish faces, "This is your justice; no help will come for you, just as none of you came for ME."

I raised my staff once again, my righteous anger fueling the frightening power gathering within me.

"Anjali! Please, mercy!!" They cried, closing their eyes tight and clinging to one another. I froze, my shining staff inches away from their heads, the vibrations of its power shifting their hair.

Mercy?

I could feel my staff trembling, trying to force itself down to deal the final blow as I fought against it, fought against my own body. I didn't want this. I couldn't do this, I couldn't kill someone who was unarmed. It went against everything I stood for, everything I'd been taught. So why was I so intent on their blood?

Mercy.

Little by little, I drew back, throwing all of my strength into my retreat.

Mercy.

This wasn't who I was. I could go another way, I could spare them, no matter what they had done.

Mercy!

I knew their crime against me was unforgivable, even though I didn't understand it. I knew I had every right to claim their lives.

Mercy!

With a rush of tremendous effort, I screamed my denial and threw the bladed staff to the ground with a resounding clatter of finality. My surroundings dissolved as I stand there panting from the feat.

I'm in the snowy forest again. The Snowdrakes are turning tail and scrambling away, shooting fearful backwards glances at me every now and then. I stared after them as they disappeared into the trees, standing still until they were out of sight.

A small smile touches my face as I come back to myself. I didn't know what that was, and I didn't hope to find out. But there were three things I knew for certain:

I was not a killer.

I was kind and merciful.

I was Jericho Andromeda Winters, not whoever I was in that vision.

I felt a little less cold as I forged ahead.

Anjali's POV:

I flinched violently, my hand flying to the side of my head at the sudden sting of pain that shot through my skull. I nearly cried out, gripping the railing to steady myself as I halted my descent from the plane.

"What is it, Anjali?" Asked the Demon from the bottom of the steps, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as I struggled to get A hold of myself. I shook my head to clear it, wiping my face clean of emotion.

"Nothing that concerns you, Demon. I am well."

He turned away after another moment, following the rest of the group. I tamped down on the pain, and on Jericho's brightening aura. She was awakening.

I would have to hurry.


	104. 106

Anti's POV:

'For the love of all that's unholy.'

I was shadow stepping at top speed through the streets Tomatin, Scotland, fifteen annoying miles from my intended destination, Inverness. God damnit. The whole fucking point of hitching a ride on that plane was so I could drop out, reform over Sean's location, and glide to the ground in shadow form. But fuck if all these dinky pastoral shitholes didn't look the same from three thousand feet in the air. And the remnants of the link between the green bean and I were too weak for me to pinpoint anything more than the region they were in, so I didn't know I wasn't directly over them, I just knew I was within thirty miles of my vessel. I actually didn't even know what city they were in until I hit the ground!

So I knew they were approximately thirty miles north west of me, which meant they were in Inverness. I also knew that they were traveling even further north west, if I wasn't mistaken.

Now the only question was why.

Why would they randomly travel to Scotland of all places? There was very little Paranormal activity there; the Edinburgh and Belfast branches of the Resistance were barely used. Their reason for coming to Scotland had to have something to do with Anjali, because from what I saw in Sean's mind a couple days prior, they hadn't had a definite plan other than avoiding Fell and I. So for them to up and fly to another continent, they must have been prompted.

Fell wasn't with me, of course; after he refused to tell me anything, I split, shadow stepping all the way to an airport and cloaking my presence so he couldn't track me. If he thought I was gonna let him keep secrets from me, a loyal comrade of two thousand fucking years, he didn't know dick about me.

I thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't told him about the remnant link I had with Sean before I left. If he knew and I'd tried to leave, he probably would have forced me to stay so he could track them. Even just minutes after we left Jericho's unconscious body in that hut, we had no way of knowing where they were; the Djinn had teleported them all miles away by then.

One of the things Fell wouldn't tell me was why the blue hell he fled halfway through the job. Obviously he didn't want Anjali dead, so what was it? I'd have to find that out on my own, without his help.

Now, what could be northeast of a charming little town like Inverness that has them so worked up?

I looked around before spotting a little kid sitting on a bench playing on his iPhone. God, these brats were spoiled. I walked over and stopped in front of him. He looked up at me quizzically.

He squinted his eyes at me in confusion before they widened in surprise and then fear. It was odd, but I figured he was just scared of stranger danger or some shit.

"Umm... c-can I help you, sir?" The kid asked, trying to hide his nerves. Aw, he was adorable. For a human, anyway. Funny; his accent was english instead of Scottish. I nodded at his question before holding out my hand in a beckoning motion, my face showing none of the amusement I felt.

"Yeah. Gimme your phone."

To my surprise, he handed it right over. I took it and raised an eyebrow at him, seeing if he was gonna yell or anything. It didn't look like it; he was pursing his lips shut and staring intently at something right above my head. I glanced up; nothing. What a weird little kid. I swiped the phone, which had gone dark.

"Password." I said flatly, making him jump.

"Oh, uh... It's Fahrenheit four fifty one, with the numbers instead of the words. It's my favorite book, and nobody can spell the password right, so-"

"I couldn't care less, kid," I cut in, putting a stop to his nervous babbling, "Where's your mother anyway? It's almost dark, isn't it past your bedtime?" I asked flippantly. I typed in 'map of North Scotland' into the Google search bar, zooming in to find Inverness when the picture came up.

"I don't have a mom. I live in an orphanage. And I'll go back when I feel like it," he said defensively, muttering the last part. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh really? And where did a stray mutt like you get an iphone seven?"

He looked away and shifted uncomfortably. "It was...umm... it was a gift," he muttered. I chuckled a little at his words. I scrolled up a bit more on the map. Bingo.

Ah, there's the city. now what are they looking for...?

"You stole it, didn't you? How cute, you're a natural Oliver Twist," I continued mockingly, somewhat enjoying the conversation. I didn't have to look to know he was glaring at me, but he didn't say anything. I was quiet for a second as I scoured the map for any interesting places. There was literally nothing there except for... what? I furrowed my brow.

"The Loch Ness?" I muttered in confusion. The kid suddenly made a weird little noise in his throat that sounded like a strangled squeak. I looked up. He'd stiffened up and all the color had drained from his face. He was gripping his knees like he was trying to steady himself, looking down at the ground. What the fuck...?

"The hell is wrong with you, kid?" I asked. Not that I cared, I was just curious. Usually humans were pretty predictable, but this little weirdo had me stumped.

"N-nothing. I... I have to go!" He stammered, standing suddenly and walking quickly away, still looking at the ground. I stared after him.

"Really? Without your phone?" I asked after he took a couple steps. He stopped and turned, looking at the device in my hand. He hesitated, his eyes flicking up to my face. He flinched violently for no reason when he made eye contact, tensing up again and taking a step back.

"No, uh...y-you can keep it," he said shakily. I cocked my head at him, my interest piqued. I tossed the phone over my shoulder and took a step forward. He began backing away slowly. I took another step...

And he was off, bolting down the street at top speed. Yep. There was definitely more going on with this kid than met the eye. I began sprinting after him, keeping an eye out for a good place to cloak where no one would see me. It was past sundown already, but better safe than sorry. I ducked into an alleyway on my left, leaping into the air and exploding into a cloud of green and black that rushed over a building to the alley on the other side that I knew the boy would be passing at any moment. I reformed just at the edge of the entrance, waiting. Soon enough, I heard the loud patter of his feet against the pavement and the sound of his high pitched, frantic breaths approaching from beyond the wall I was pressed up against.

Three...two...one... NOW.

My hand shot out the second he came into sight, sending a small rope of shadow out to wrap around his wrist and yank him towards me with a high pitched yelp. I grabbed him by the collar when he came within reach, putting a quick cloaking spell over both of us before slamming him up against the wall so that his legs dangled. He inhaled deeply, and I slapped a hand over his mouth before he could get a sound out.

"You scream, and you're dead. Got it, brat?" I hissed. He nodded frantically, whimpering through his nose as tears streamed from his eyes.

"Good," I said as I removed my hands and stepped back, my sudden release making him crumple to the pavement. He quickly scrambled to his feet, looking at the ground and clenching his fists as he tried to hold back his sniffles. Poor kid can't have been older than ten. If I had a heart, I might have felt sorry for him.

"Look at me, kid," I said flatly in a tone that didn't convey a choice. He looked up slowly, meeting my eyes for just a second. His eyes immediately started darting around me; he glanced to my right, then my left, then above my head and back again. He scrunched up his face and began to hyperventilate as he continued to look everywhere BUT at me.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" I demanded. Oh, I was invested now. There was no way I was leaving without getting some answers. He struggled to speak, gulping for air.

"Y-you... I-It's your... your l-light..." He hiccuped quietly. God, if this brat didn't start speaking in complete sentences I was going to have to compel him.

Wait. My light??

"What do you mean, 'my light?'" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes. Was this kid just bat shit insane? Was that all this was? "Speak up!" I snapped when he didn't answer.

He flinched.

"It's dark! The light around you is dark and... And evil..." He blurted, trailing off into silence. My eyebrows shot up.

"My light is dark, huh?" I repeated quietly, thinking about his words. I considered him for a moment before taking a knee in front of him to better see into his scared little eyes, but he just looked away again. I cocked my head.

"And what does this 'dark light' look like exactly?"

He hesitated before looking at me.

"I-It's black and green."


	105. 107

Felix's POV:

I breathed in deeply and sighed happily, enjoying the moments of peace while I still could.

We were walking through the city streets of Inverness, Scotland, just a quarter hour's stroll from our destination to the northeast. Virgil and Wiishu couldn't teleport us; Virgil's magic was apparently still exhausted and Wiishu had already teleported us through half the city. Since it was just fifteen minutes, we just decided to walk. I stayed at the back of the group, grateful to have some time to think.

"Felix."

I turned my head a bit to see Marzia walking beside me. I returned the friendly smile she was giving me.

"Hey, Marzia. You look pretty different without your armor, I think I like it," I commented. She scoffed.

"If you say so, broccolo."

I ended up sacrificing my old gun knives (not the dope gift I got from Wiishu) to Virgil so that he could work his Djinn hoo-doo and get us some clothes that wouldn't draw attention, promising to give the other outfits back later. I have to admit, he was a bit fashion forward, but I certainly didn't mind.

Marzia:

Felix:

Mark:

Sean:

Amy:

Wiishu:

Anjali:

Dark and Mikhail refused outright to let Virgil play dress up with them, which resulted in them being the most conspicuous in the group.

Not that our dope ass outfits weren't pretty conspicuous anyway, but once again, I didn't mind.

It was way past sunrise already, and we reached the loch a little after nine PM. Since it was dark, there wasn't anyone out by the lake. Good. No tourists. I didn't want to deal with whatever complicated magical methods Dark and Wiishu would employ to get rid of them.

"Well, Druid?" Asked Dark, gesturing to the lake as we stood at the edge of the water, "What now?"

Anjali, who hadn't spoke since she nearly fell off the stairs of the plane, wordlessly began walking towards the lake. I almost wasn't surprised when she began walking on the water as though it were a solid surface, her feet about an inch below the water. None of us spoke as she walked out about fifty yards before she lifted her arms above her head and shot down into the water as though the surface was pulled out from under her.

"...Okay? So what now?" Asked Sean, "when is she gonna be back? We don't even know what the hell that psycho is doing down there!"

Mikhail shook his head and sighed, not answering Sean's question. "And we won't find out until she comes back. Anjali does as she pleases, and unless we want a bloodbath on our hands, it's going to have to stay that way. At least until we find a way to expell her from Jericho's body. Until then, that is our prime objective." He turned and began walking towards some old castle ruins about a football field away.

"Come, we should settle for the night. It's late."

"Wait. Are you seriously expecting us to sleep here?" Mark asked incredulously. Wiishu patted him on the back sympathetically as she passed him to follow Mikhail, followed closely by Sean, Dark, and Virgil. Amy took hold of Mark's hand and led him the same way as Chica jumped up and licked her other hand as she walked with them.

"Hotels are too dangerous. If there's a fight, it's better to be out here than in a populated area," Amy explained. Mark pouted.

"But Chica's never slept outside before!" He protested. Chica huffed and nudged his leg.

"Puppy."

"Hey! Don't say that where everyone can hear!" Mark said indignantly as the rest of us snickered. I turned to Marzia as the others walked off.

"Seriously? You guys do this all the time?" I asked with my eyebrows raised. She shot me an amused look.

"Don't be a puppy, Felix," she teased, following suit of the rest of the group. I sighed.

Oh well.

Mark's POV:

"Okay. Let's try this another way; think about the motion of fire instead of just the heat. How it looks, what it does," I heard Amy instruct me from behind my closed eyes.

"Red, orange, yellow, blue," Chica supplied. She was laying on her belly next where I sat cross legged, her paws on the ground and head held up. I didn't have to look to know she had her eyes closed as well, concentrating just as hard as I was. I tried to put my thoughts on the same wavelength as hers.

Bright light.

Wavy.

Crackling.

Burns.

Warms.

Hot.

Comforting.

I went from thinking the same types of thoughts as her to thinking of the opposite attributes of fire. Maybe that way we could split the task between the two of us.

Hot!

You already said that, Chica.

No, Mark! Your hand! Hot, it's too hot! She barked loudly to supplement her inward exclamation. My eyes shot open to see my hand encased in blue-tinged fire. I yelped in surprise and almost started shaking my arm before remembering my task. I shoved my flaming hand into the center of the kindling that Mikhail and Marzia gathered, automatically setting it alight. Mission accomplished, I shook my hand frantically through the air to clear it of fire, sighing in relief when there were only a couple wisps of smoke left. I felt a wave of amusement coming from Chica and looked over to see her standing behind me calmly.

With her paws on fire.

"Don't be a puppy, Mark." She said, proudly lifting a flaming paw and wiggling it to show it off, as if it were perfectly natural for a self aware talking dog to spontaneously combust. I sulked.

Amy laughed, clapping a hand on my back as Chica pranced around the fire.

"Ouch. It's okay, you'll get there," she chuckled.

"Yes! Fire! Thank God, I was freezing," Felix said, walking over to toss in a couple more branches before plopping down beside me. He nudged my shoulder as the others gathered around the fire as well.

"What took you so long?" He asked. I scowled and heated up a finger, poking him in the arm. He yelped and glared at me. "Hey!"

"How about YOU try setting yourself on fire? It's not as easy as it looks."

Yes it is.

"Quiet, you!"

Amy's loud laughter made me feel a little better about Chica's teasing. She had such a cute laugh.

To be honest, I just about swooned when she took my hand. I knew there was something there, there had to be. Chica could feel it too, and couldn't have been happier about the new development in my love life. She loved Amy almost as much as...

...Loved?

I thought about it and decided I hadn't used the wrong word. It wasn't just affection, it wasn't just that I liked her or thought that she was cute. I loved her. I really did.

After realizing that, I started panicking. What if I came on too strong? What would she think if I asked her out after just a week of knowing her? What would she do? And worse...

What if she didn't like me as much as I loved her?

"Mark? You okay dude?"

I jumped a foot into the air when Felix clapped his hand on my shoulder.

"Sheesh, take it easy man. What were you thinking about to make you so skittish?" He asked curiously as he retracted his hand. I shook my head and looked at the ground gloomily.

"It's nothing," I mumbled. He looked skeptical, but didn't pry. I sighed.

What a mess.

"We should turn in for the night," Wiishu announced, putting a stop to the chatter around the fire, "Things are getting sticky; who knows when we'll have another chance to sleep soundly?"

We all agreed heartily. Dark wordlessly conjured some sleeping bags over each of our heads that we caught and began laying out around the fire, clearing off the ground beneath them as best we could. No one spoke, but nobody seemed to mind. Mikhail didn't join the rest of us, saying that he would keep the first watch. We were all situated when Virgil broke the silence.

"I'll take watch, Mikhail. Djinn don't have to sleep, so it won't bother me," he offered, "You humans need your strength."

Mikhail hesitated, looking distrustful.

"He has no ill intent, Reaper, you can rest easy. I would take watch, but my energy will be replenished faster if I'm asleep," Dark said, eyes already closed as he laid on his back with his hands laced over his lower chest. Wiishu was already out. After a tense stare down between Mikhail and Virgil, the ex-Knight sighed and went to lay down by the fire.

"Fine. I bid you all rest well; the days will only get longer and more trying from here."

And with that, he turned away and got comfortable, prompting the rest of us to do the same despite his ominous words. Chica snuggled up beside me, nudging her nose under my arm so she could squeeze under it.

Within seconds, I was out like a light.


	106. 108

"Oh! Sorry kid, I didn't see you there," said the man that I had intentionally stepped in front of.

"It's cool, I wasn't looking," I reassured him, dusting off my jacket and picking up my board. I shot him my most adorable smile. "have a nice day!"

I waited until he walked around the corner before turning and skating away with the stolen iPhone in my pocket.

Yellow lights were so trusting.

I got a couple blocks away and sat down on a bench to examine my prize.

An iPhone seven, huh? It'll probably go for fourty or so at the most. What a fossil.

I sighed in disappointment before swiping the phone. It was locked of course. I put two fingers to the back of the phone where I knew the memory card was and tapped it twice. When I turned it back over, it was unlocked, the memory card wiped clean and returned to factory settings. I set the password to Fahrenheit451 like the other five phones in my backpack. I was about to put it with the others and head over to pudge's place to sell when something caught my eye from across the street.

I squinted through the usual wisps of reds, yellows, blues, whites, and the occasional purple or orange to see the weirdest light I had ever laid eyes on.

It was thick, thicker than anything I'd ever seen. I couldn't see through the other side like the other lights that were like mist, not like this deep black and green smoke across the street. The strands of darkness were wiggling around slowly, like a bunch of rattle snake tails in slow motion. The longer I looked at it, the more scared I got. I had only ever seen one bright neon green light before, and it came from my father. And I had never, ever seen any black lights. I didn't think it was possible.

I also got a weird feeling of restriction, almost like the light was somehow holding itself back. Like it was self aware. That had never happened before either.

Even though I was all the way across the street, I felt like I was being crushed by it, smothered. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I have to get out of here.

I almost stood when the... thing... started looking around. He looked in my direction and I whipped my head down to look at the phone, pretending to text or play a game. I tried really hard to keep my face clear, hoping he wouldn't come any closer. But of course, with my luck...

Two black converse stepped into my lowered view, making me look up. Crap. He was there, he was right there! I was so scared I could barely breathe.

Crap.

"C-can I help you, mister?" I stuttered, hating myself for sounding so wimpy. He nodded and extended his hand, his face blank but still menacing.

"Yeah. Gimme your phone."

I gave him my phone.

I fought the urge to run away. I didn't want him following me, whatever he was. I looked around; oh no, it was dark. I hadn't even realized that the sun was setting. I looked back and examined the man anxiously. He was skinny and slouchy, with brown hair dyed half green and eyes that were the same bright green as his dark light.

I had never seen light in someone's eyes before.

I kept my voice relatively steady through the whole ordeal. Right up until the very end.

"The Loch Ness...?"

As the man said these words, his light flared a couple feet, some of it brushing me. It was so cold that I felt like I had just fallen into some snow. I froze, gripping my knees and looking to the ground. I had to get out of there. I had to get away from that thing, now!

The next minute or so was a blur. I knew I'd made a mistake in trying to back away when his eyes narrowed. I knew that I'd made an even bigger mistake when I turned on my heel and began racing down the street. But I couldn't help flinching away from the green neon glow in the thing's eyes.

I could hear him chasing me, feel that horrible, icy feeling nearly breathing down the back of my neck. My heart was pattering faster than my feet were, and harder too. I was reminded of the opening scene of hamlet where mercutio encounters the king's ghost, with the "sweat of hot ice on his skin." If I said something like that out loud at Sundance, I'd probably be ridiculed and/or beat up. Again.

Suddenly, the menacing presence was gone. I didn't stop though, rounding the corner that I knew would take me to Pudge's place, a closer safe haven than the orphanage. I was just about there, almost to the end of the street...!

Suddenly, a black string of smoke shot out of the alleyway to my Right, wrapping around my wrist and yanking me in. I was slammed up against the wall, my feet kicking in the air. I drew a breath to scream, when a frigid hand was slapped over my mouth. The green-and-dark light Was roiling off of it, so cold it was burning me.

"You scream, and you're dead. Got it, brat?" He barked at me. I just barely managed to hold on to my last scrap of dignity by not soiling myself.

"Look at me, kid."

I wanted to scream at him to stop calling me kid, but I didn't want to die. I looked up at him slowly to see his light flaring off of him in a fifteen foot high inferno of dark green flames, twitching and waving violently. My eyes darted back and forth between the frothing strands of malevolent shadows, unable to keep still.

"The fuck are you looking at?" The man snapped, "Speak up!" The fire flared higher and I flinched.

"It's your light! It's dark. And evil..." I trailed off with a shudder, wishing there was some way to turn off my sight. He raised his eyebrows and knelt in front of me, uncomfortably close. I looked away.

"And what exactly does this 'dark light' look like?" He asked quietly. His light drew back to its normal height in his curiosity. I looked into his green fire eyes again, like the rage demons in dante's inferno.

"It's black. And Green," I whispered.

He froze, his eyes widening and eyebrows shooting up as his light flared up again. I closed my eyes and choked back a scream, nearly blinded by the intensity. I covered my face and turned away.

"S-stop! That hurts, it hurts!" I yelled. The brightness dimmed considerably, and I opened the fingers of one hand to peer from in between them. I knew I looked pathetic, but I didn't care. I dropped my hands completely when I saw that he had backed away a couple steps, though he was still crouching down. I hadn't heard him move. His light had gone down to a low simmer, just a silhouette around him with a few errant strands of smoke wafting sparsely off his skin.

"Well? That better?" He asked flatly, like he didn't appreciate having to accommodate me. I nodded and wiped my eyes before shooting him a curious look.

"You can control it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he confirmed, " But you can see my aura with me intentionally flaring it. How?" His face was guarded, careful not to give anything away. It was a look I was used to, being an all too often underestimated ten-and-a-half year old. That's probably what made me so good at pick pocketing.

I shrugged, scuffing the tip of my shoe against the pavement as I shot discreet looks at my surroundings for a chance to escape. The man scoffed.

"Oh, please. Don't even try, kid," the man said, crossing his arms and smirking, "You wouldn't even get past five feet without at least one broken limb. You know I'm not kidding."

I clenched my hands into fists and glared at the ground again. I could feel his light flare a little.

"Answer me, kid. Now."

"They aren't auras. I don't just get emotions or personality," I informed him. I saw him cock his head from the corner of my eye.

"How do you know so much about this?" He asked curiously. I shrugged again.

"Research. It's not as if I'm unaware of my abnormality," I explained. He uncrossed his arms.

"How old are you?"

"I'm ten. And a half."

"Why do you have an English accent instead of an Irish one?"

"I'm originally from an orphanage in London."

"Do you know how you're able to see these, 'lights?'"

"No. I've just always had the ability," I told him. He leaned on his hip, looking much too relaxed.

"Does anyone else know about your little talent?" He asked softly. The question seemed innocent, but it made me pause. The truth was that nobody knew about my powers except for my father, who was long gone. Whether or not I told him that was completely my choice. If I said yes just to stall him, I didn't know what he would do to the people that I claimed were my confidantes. If I said no, the action would be swift and instant; with no one in the way, he'd be free to do whatever he was going to do without too big of a fuss.

But between the two... I had to go with the one that would endanger less lives. I looked the man right in his menacing eyes.

"No. No one," I answered flatly. I struggled to hold in my tears and stop myself from shaking. I almost began cowering again when he straightened and walked towards me, but I held strong, not diverting my eyes from his. I wouldn't crumble before my enemies. He chuckled as he stopped before me, ruffling my curly hair with a mocking expression.

"Aww, is the little guy scared? Smart. You should be," he said softly as the cold light flared in the hand he held above my head. I braced myself for whatever he was planning.

"Sleep, "a voice intoned in my head. was it his voice? I began to feel faint.

"Sorry, kid. Things are gonna get a lot worse for you from here on out."

Those were the last words I heard before blacking out.

Anti's POV:

I compelled the kid to sleep, stooping a little to catch his arm as he passed out. I slung him over my back, with his feet on my back and arms lolling down my front. I didn't know who or what this kid was, but I was gonna find out soon.

He'd be awake by the time I got to inverness.


	107. 109

Virgil's POV:

I offered to take the first watch. Mikhail was understandably skeptical, but who wouldn't be? They didn't really know anything about me besides my species, age, and name. Dark reassured him though, so the legendary Knight ended up taking my offer. Dark was the only one that could, or had bothered to, read my mind.

So he was the only one who knew the real reason I was tagging along.

Why he hadn't told any of the others yet, I'd never know. I figured as long as my life didn't affect theirs, we were good. I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth anyway. As long as I was away from them...

"Djinn."

I lifted my chin off my hand to see Anjali standing before me in the firelight, her expression as snooty as ever. I raised a single brow of acknowledgement.

"I am going to commune with the Ness. I will be back shortly," she said flatly, not waiting for an answer before turning and stalking off through the trees back towards the Loch. I narrowed my eyes. I could tell Something was up, but I knew i wouldn't be able to stop her. And waking the others up would be useless; it's not like they had any power over her either.

Besides... I may as well find out what she's doing anyway.

I shimmered and dissolved into my violet strands of mist, waiting a full minute before following. I flew up and through the upper branches of the trees, weaving in and out of them quickly and carefully without brushing a single leaf. When I sensed her stop, I came to a halt and began moving around her position as I slowly advanced, keeping to the tops of the trees high above the ground. Anjali was stopped just at the edge of the trees, facing the Loch around fifty yards away. She had her hands out to the sides, her aura flaring as she muttered incantations I was too far up to hear. I couldn't get closer, either; holding back my energy wasn't my forte, and she'd be sure to sense me. Suddenly, far below my hiding place, something else caught my eye. Something green.

And it wasn't the leaves.

Well isn't this interesting...

Anti's POV, three hours after meeting "Oliver Twist":

I followed the only two energy signatures that were awake at the moment; it felt like the Djinn and the Druid. I laid the unconscious kid on the ground before shadow cloaking and shooting silently into the trees. I slowly approached from behind, keeping low to the ground and concealing myself in the brush. Luckily, I was skilled enough at cloaking myself that I could make my energy nearly nonexistent.

Anjali was murmuring some incantations over some ciphers she'd etched into the dirt. I definetly recognized that spell, or at least the type. It was a reversal, a prepared one meant to be planted hours before its use. It sounded like she was preparing to counteract some sort of reverse possession spell. And the only reason they would need to perform a reverse possession was if they were trying to bring Jericho back. Which could mean only one thing; Anjali wanted to keep Jericho's body for herself. And because she was reversing a reversal, the magic would be pretty concrete.

It would be permanent.

If I were still with Fell, I would have considered this a good thing; no matter Anjali's reasoning for it, this was exactly what he wanted.

But now that I was working against Fell, I couldn't let this happen, couldn't let him get what he wanted. If he wasn't going to share Jericho and Anjali's power with me, he wouldn't get it at all.

I looked above me to where the purple smoke that I knew belonged to the Djinn hovered silently. Had I not approached from the direction I did, I wouldn't have been aware of his presence. I knew he could see me too, but he wasn't moving, wasn't reaching out, just floating there, observing. I sent him a mental truce that he accepted after a moment of perplexed hesitation. Had it been any other member of his party, I knew for a fact they would have warned the others immediately, but I got the feeling he was somewhat of a bystander in all this. Why he was even with them was a mystery to me.

I didn't know anybody's endgame here, Fell, Anjali, or the Djinn. I wasn't even sure about my own yet. But I did know one thing for certain; If Fell wanted something, I would do my damndest to make sure he didn't get it, even if that meant helping the morons sleeping not a football field away.

I dissolved and began flying back towards where I'd left my captive.

It was time for some subterfuge.


	108. 110

Sean's POV:

Why me?

I was standing once again in the familiar black abyss of water that plagued my dreams way too often these days. I didn't bother trying to run, or even moving. I just sighed tiredly, resigned to my torture.

"What do you want, Anti? They won't fall for the same trick twice," I called out. It was a moment before his sourceless voice floated back to me.

"I don't need anything from you at the moment, old friend. But maybe I could help you out for a change."

I looked around in confusion as I soaked in his words.

"And why would you want to help me?" I asked slowly.

"The enemy of my enemy and all that," came the reply, "Fell and I aren't on the best of terms right now."

"And I'm supposed to just believe You?" I asked with biting sarcasm, "How are you even here? Wiishu warded me!"

"Yeah, about that. Turns out we're still connected a bit. That's actually my bad. I made the link a little too strong." I felt a mental shrug following his words. I gritted my teeth to keep myself from flying off the handle.

"And what does this mean for me?" I ground out. There was another shrug.

"Two things. Good news and bad news, but both could be either one depending on how you look at it."

There was a pause, like he was waiting for me to say something. I didn't bother; I wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush here.

"Good news first, then. You have third eye senses now, congratulations. The bad news," he continued, not acknowledging my shock or giving me a chance to question his bombshell, "is that we're permanently linked. Which means I know where you are. Oopsie-doodles!" He giggled. My blood turned to ice. If what he was telling me was true, he and Fell could be on their way at any moment! I had to wake up. Now!

"Don't get your panties in a bunch over there, jolly green. I don't have any interests where you're concerned. And Fell and I are just having a little spat, so you can put your mind at ease.

I stopped to soak in his words. He wasn't with Fell? I jumped violently as he finally showed himself, rising up out of the abysmal water about five feet from me. He looked relaxed and almost bored, not ready to attack at all. I kept my guard up anyway.

"I came here to warn you," he answered my unasked question, "About Anjali. The threat she poses to Jericho is more serious than you think."

Mark's POV:

"Amy? Wait, why are we back here?" I asked, looking from her to my surroundings and back again. Chica whined, just as confused as I was.

Chica, Amy and I were sitting on the ground in Amy's old grotto. It was the room I had first used my powers in; it was still covered with those glowing baby blue flowers that I had accidentally grown. How...?

"We're not really back in my grotto in Israel," Amy explained with a smile, scooching over to Chica to scratch her neck, "This is a dream. Don't you remember falling asleep?"

"Ohhhhhhh. Yeah, I guess I do," I said, nodding like a two player dream made perfect sense. Which it didn't, but I wouldn't question it.

"Why are we here, Amy?" Asked Chica, speaking slowly so she could get all the right words. Amy raised her eyebrows and grinned at me.

"Wow, she's getting good at That! Well Chica, since the only training you've had was either extremely violent or extremely simple, I thought we could delve a little deeper into your power at a more moderate pace while we have the time," she said, laughing at our enthusiastic expressions as we both perked up.

"Okay then, Let's go through each energy form and see how you do when you try to conjure them."

Fire was first. Since I had already summoned it once in combat and then again with Chica to light the kindling not too long ago, it wasn't hard for either of us to set our hands/paws alight. We got past that one quickly.

Light was even easier because light was like fire, just without the unbearable heat. This time, we were able to make our whole bodies glow and even point beams of light across the room since it took much less energy.

Kinetic manipulation was sooooooo much fun. Amy threw rocks in the air and had us change their trajectory, then she had us control the air particles to make them all move in one direction, air bender status.

Summoning our own spirit energy into our hands was weird. Goku made it look way too easy. It tired us out quickly, but I could tell it would make a way more powerful attack than fire would. Amy explained that the manipulation of life energy was extremely similar, except that you had to tap into another living being, like a plant.

"That's the power I use when I summon any type of flora from the earth. And that is the end of the lesson," she said, standing up and cracking her neck, "you'd better put out your hands before you have to sleep through tomorrow."

"Wait, that was only five!" I protested, releasing the energy with a firm shake, "I thought you said there were seven forms." Chica barked in agreement.

"Well, yeah. But I don't want you touching electricity or dark matter yet," she said as she headed towards the door. I jogged to catch up with her.

"What? Why?" I asked.

She stopped and crossed her arms, giving me a stern look that made me want to duck my head.

"Well for one thing, no Evoker has ever been able to create dark energy from scratch before. You can deflect attacks and mold negative energy from an outside source, like say if Dark lent you some, but you can't create it by yourself. If you try, you might put too much of yourself into it by just trying and seriously injure you and Chica. So don't even think about it."

That made sense.

"What about lightening then?" I asked, "isn't it the same as fi-"

"No. Not even close," she cut me off flatly.

"I want you to avoid lightening for the same reason. If you want to absorb static electricity for an extra boost, fine. But though it's possible in theory, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to summon electricity. Not only that, but it's unstable and hard to control. I'm warning yo-"

"Yeah, yeah, don't go there, I get it. We'll be good," I relented.

"We'll be good," confirmed Chica. Amy nodded, satisfied that we understood the risks.

"Alright, let's go. It'll still be dark when we get back in our bodies, so just go back to sleep."

She snapped her fingers, and the door opened, flooding the room with light.

The transition between the dream and reality was seamless, especially now that I was aware of it.

"Night Mark," Amy whispered from her place across the fire. Chica gave a mental tail wag before yawning and snuggling up to me once more. She was out like a light, tired as she was from our session with Amy. Well, that and she was a dog. They slept easier than humans anyway. I tried to follow suit, but after about a half hour of trying and failing to konk out, I resigned myself to a restless night.

I began thinking about what Amy said about electricity. I mean, it made sense that I wouldn't be able to create negative energy. I could accept that. But I was really itching to try lightening. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I had a shot. I raised my right hand in front of my face in the darkness, making sure to close my mind off from Chica so I wouldn't wake her.

I held my thumb and pointer finger about half an inch apart. I focused on thinking about everything I associated with electricity; that unexpected shock when I touch something metal on a dry winter day. The hairs raising on the back of my neck during a thunderstorm. Rubbing a balloon on top of my head. Lightening. That one time I touched an electric fence when I was little.

It was the last one that did it. There was a small spark between my fingers, a strand of twitching light that writhed steadily. I widened the interval until the line was several inches long. I brought up my other hand as it grew into multiple bolts, shooting back and forth between my hands in wild blue flashes.

I let it go when I began to feel weak. It fizzled out with a pop and a buzzing hiss as my arms fell to my sides, unable to support their own weight. I didn't have time to marvel at my accomplishment before I passed out as well.


	109. 111

The boy's POV:

I flew awake suddenly and without pretense, shooting up straight with a sharp gasp. My head whipped around as I frantically tried to make sense of my unfamiliar surroundings. I was in the middle of some clearing in a forest that I could just barely make out through the darkness. I brushed a few leaves out of my hair; I had been laying on the bare ground.

"Well, look who's awake."

I stood quickly and whirled around to face the voice. It was the man from before. He was leaning against a tree about three meters away, his light once again tamped down to a simmer. I didn't react to his presence beyond simple acknowledgement, keeping my face clear of emotion. I had a feeling that it wouldn't be wise to show fear in his presence... no matter how much I felt like it.

"...yes."

He raised a brow at my flat response as he pushed off the tree and approached. I remained still, biding my time until I had a chance to escape. It wouldn't do to act like a cornered animal, no matter how much I felt like one. He once again took a knee beside me, examining my face closely.

"I can't read your mind. Why? Not even Jericho can block us out, not completely," he said, cocking his head. I mimicked his perplexed expression.

"Who's Jericho?" I asked. He ignored my question, staring intently into my eyes. I squirmed uncomfortably after about a minute of his intense examination, averting my eyes. He growled.

"That doesn't work either, huh?" He murmured absently, more to himself than to me. My eyes shot back to his.

"What?"

"Shut up. And hold still," he muttered. I flinched as he placed two fingers on my forehead. Once again, we remained still for roughly a minute before he retracted his hand and sat back in a crouch, his arms on his knees. I grew uncomfortable under his glare. Finally, I couldn't hold back any longer.

"What are you?" I blurted out, my curiosity getting the better of me. His eyes flashed, making me flinch and leaving two green stains in my sight. I rubbed my eyes.

"You first, kid."

"Me?" I asked in confusion. He rolled his eyes.

"Do you see any other snotty little brats in the area?" He asked sarcastically. I ground my teeth together.

"Just one," I bit out. He paused before letting out a dark, chilling laugh. Suddenly, his light flared once again, this time so powerfully that I was momentarily blinded. It was like staring into the fires of a hundred green and black suns. I let out a pained cry and covered my face, scrambling away from the bright, scorching cold. I felt an icy hand wrap itself around my neck, slamming me against the hard ground. I gagged, swallowing back the bile that threatened to make its way out of my throat.

"I won't ask again, brat," he snarled. I coughed and grabbed at his hand, and he loosened it just enough for me to speak.

"H-human!" I wheezed weakly, "I-I'm human!"

He let loose another animalistic snarl before letting go of my neck after one last shove into the dirt. I opened my eyes just a tad to see him stand up and point his hand, palm out, towards me. I could just barely see his silhouette through the neon light. I closed my eyes tight again.

"I fucking warned you..." he hissed.

"No! No I am! I'm human, I don't know what else you want me to say!!" I yelled frantically as I braced for the impact. Suddenly, the cold was gone. I opened my eyes just a sliver to see a swath of emerald tinted shadows spiraling away from me across the clearing as I stared in amazement, my jaw agog. The green haired man reformed out of the darkness.

"Close your mouth, kid. You look ridiculous."

I snapped my jaw shut.

"So you really have no clue what you are, huh?" He asked, regarding me thoughtfully. His sudden change in temperament threw me for a moment, but I shook it off. I got up and dusted myself off, fighting the liquidity in my limbs. I looked the vermilion beast square in the eye.

"No. I just am. Now what are you?" I demanded flatly, trying to show confidence. My ire at being tossed around a minute earlier helped. He chuckled.

"You've got guts, kid. I like it," he said before shooting me a toothy grin, "I'm a Demon. Tried and true."

He seemed to be waiting for me to say something in response. I blinked calmly. If he was looking for some sort of awed reaction, he had another thing coming. After a few moments, he pouted almost comically.

"Aw. No shock? Fear? Questions, comments, concerns? I was looking forward to that," he sulked. I furrowed my brow.

"Just the intensity of your light is enough to make me believe you. And despite your inhospitability," I shrugged, "I have no reason not to believe you; You have no motive to lie."

He paused, cocking his head at me in a birdlike motion. It was awhile before I broke the silence.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?" I asked quietly. He shook his head.

"Sorry, kid. That's not happening anytime soon," he said, not sounding sorry at all. I looked down at the ground, scuffing my shoe against the dirt. Well. This was mildly concerning.

"Seriously? Nothing?" The man asked incredulously, "No crying, no begging? What the fuck kind of sociopathic tween are you?" I let out a bitter laugh.

"I've seen worse things from humans than I've seen from you so far. If you want to scare me past physical intimidation, you'll have to up your game," I said, walking to a tree a couple of feet away to mimic his position, "If your intention was to kill me, you would have done it a couple minutes ago."

I was going to bullshit my way through this, come hell or high water.

He scoffed. "You talk a big game for someone who was sniveling and screaming a second ago."

I shook my head. "I'm afraid of death, not of pain. I'm quite used to the latter," I said matter of factly. He didn't seem to have a response to this.

"What's your name, kid?" He asked curiously. My mouth twitched into a wry grin.

"Oliver. Oliver saul."

His reaction was as expected. His eyes widened before he threw back his head, laughing long and loud.

"Oliver! It's actually Oliver, that's priceless!" He guffawed. I waited for him to calm down before continuing.

"I've never liked that name, you know. For obvious reasons," I said conversationally, crossing my arms as his attention was drawn back to me, "and also for not so obvious reasons."

"Oh Really?" He asked as if he didn't actually care, "And what would those reasons be?"

"You obviously already know one of them," I said, drawing a grin from him, "But the second is that the name was given to me by a man I despise. Saul. A surname I have no tie to but from blood. If you want something to call me by, it's not going to be that."

"Hm. Interesting. Melodramatic, but interesting. And what would you propose I call you?" He asked, an amused expression on his face. I thought for a bit.

"My name... is..."

Anti's POV:

What a weird little kid. He spoke more intelligently than someone five times his age, and didn't seem to be fazed by much. Aside from, well, death. But I suspected that a lot of that may have been bravado.

He was ten, after all.

"And what would you propose I call you?" I asked, amused to no end by his dramatic antics. He appeared to think deeply for a moment.

"My name... is Solomon. Atticus Solomon. Named after a warrior and a wise King." He nodded in satisfaction at his choice. I smirked.

"Lofty choice, little king. And why is king solomon a better choice than Saul?" I mocked. He took my jab in stride.

"Saul was just a man, and one who became corrupt at that. Not to mention the fact that I, like Solomon, favor wisdom over power," he said calmly. For the millionth time that night, I had nothing to say to that.

"...Alright, little King Atticus. Solomon it is."


	110. 112

Sean's POV:

"Did you get all that? Any questions?" Asked the Demon in my body. I nodded my head Grimmly. At first, I refused to trust him at all, but was forced to because of the link. Once I realized that he literally couldn't lie to me because of the connection, I had no choice but to believe him.

"Yeah. Got it," I confirmed.

"Good. And remember: don't. Tell. Anyone. Not even the witch. This needs to be under Anjali's nose if it's going to work," he said sternly before his eyebrows rose like he was remembering something.

"Oh, and you're going to need to talk with Virgil before your group gets to the loch. I'll play my part; now you two play yours."

I sighed, not liking the fact that Anti was giving me orders. I didn't bother to ask what Virgil had to do with it.

"Fine. Anything else?" I asked impatiently. He smirked.

"Yeah. Don't fuck this up."

I sat up slowly, pressing my hand to my temple to try and ease the migraine that was ringing through my skull.

"Ugh..."

Everyone was still asleep; the sun wasn't even up yet. The moon was pretty low though, so I knew it had to be at least past midnight.

'Yo. Luigi.'

Virgil appeared a few feet beyond the edge of the clearing, lounging nonchalantly against a tree with his arms crossed. After a moment, he turned and began walking away through the trees, not waiting as I fumbled with my sleeping bag as quietly as I could before following him.

'You ready?' He thought to me without turning. I nodded, knowing he could feel my answer.

' Then let's do this.'

Anti's POV:

I opened my eyes and stood, cracking my neck. Ugh. If he thought he hated this link, he didn't know the half of it. The restriction was taxing.

"What were you doing?"

I turned to where the kid- Atticus- was sitting cross legged on the ground a couple yards away, a curious look on his face. I'd almost forgotten he was here.

"Nothing that concerns you, kid. Get some sleep," I dismissed him, laying myself down on a relatively soft looking bed of grass and letting my eyes slip shut.

"Don't call me kid. My name is Atticus," he snapped irritably. I cracked open one eyelid lazily.

"And what are you gonna do to make me... kid?" I asked. He said nothing, glowering at me silently. I chuckled and shut my eye again.

"Go to sleep, Atticus. It's past your bedtime."

I could feel his shock, but I didn't react. After a few moments, I heard the slight scuffle that must have been him laying down on the ground. He was asleep in seconds.

What a weird kid.


	111. 113

Dark's POV:

"Get up, you ridiculous buffoon!" I snarled, nudging my vessel with my foot. I shot his annoying companion a murderous glare when she began growling at me.

"To say I'm not in the mood would be an understatement, dog. Stop that ridiculous snarling before I jinx your voice away."

'You are not my master, Mark is! Bad Dark!' The animal barked as she spoke. Mark groaned and sat up, rubbing his head and squinting in the morning light.

"I'm not your master either Chica, I don't own you." There was a feeling of happy satisfaction from the dog at his words. He yawned and scratched his back. "God, what time is it? I feel like I've been sleeping on-" he looked at the ground, "...Oh yeah."

I rolled my eyes heavenward. How was I bound to such an imbecile?

"C'mon, up 'n' at 'em, bud," said Amy, nudging him with her foot much harder than I had, drawing a pained groan from the youtuber. Chica's response was to lick her hand; apparently abuse was acceptable from the sprite.

The rest of the group was already up and sitting around the fire, dining on the four plump rabbits that Virgil and Sean had hunted early that morning. Why those two of all people had teamed up I hadn't the slightest. I hadn't pegged the young man as an early riser, but I couldn't say I really cared. All of my focus was on the task at hand:

Getting my Jericho back.

"You're going to miss breakfast, boy," Mikhail warned Mark," if you aren't on your feet in time, I'm going to feed your breakfast to Chica."

'Yes please!'

"Noooo! I'm up, I'm up!" Mark exclaimed rushing over to the fire. The way his voracity matched that of his dog was almost comical. The rest of the group laughed at the way both of them inhaled their food, drawing confused looks from them.

Anjali, like me, was standing off to the side away from the banter, lost in thought. I couldn't help but be suspicious of her; we all were, and not simply because of her abrasive temperament. But what choice did I have?

I noticed that Sean and Virgil were strangely silent, distanced from the rest of the group. No one else seemed to notice the oddity of the silent green chatterbox and the occasional glances that he shared with the Djinn. Something was definitely afoot with those two, and I suspected it had to do with the real reason they were both up so early. The only other person who noticed was Wiishu, who kept casting curious glances at Sean every so often.

"It's time," Anjali broke in, silencing the chatter, "we must depart. I've put a diversion ward around the loch to prevent humans from straying too near."

She began moving through the trees without checking to see if we would follow. I did so without hesitation, Sean and Virgil quietly falling in line immediately after me. After a moment of collective silent uneasiness, the rest followed as well.

I would see her again, touch her again, hold her in my arms again soon. For the first time in the past few days, I had hope.

I prayed to the absent Gods that my faith wasn't misplaced.

Sean's POV:

It was done. We had won the battle before it even began, I was sure of it.

'If there's one thing I've learned in three centuries, Luigi, it's never to celebrate early,' Virgil spoke dryly in my head without giving any outward indication that he had spoken. I scowled. He was right, of course. But I couldn't help it; I didn't have anything but my optimism right then. This was our one shot, it had to work. If it didn't... it would be over, and my friend would be gone. My chest tightened at the thought.

We arrived at the edge of the Loch at around seven according to my watch. I wished that I had time to admiee the early morning light that shimmered on the water's surface as the gentle waves whispered against the shore.

'Ugh. I'm becoming a poet.'

We gathered a couple meters from the water's edge as Anjali faced us. The air felt grim and thick with tension; everyone had varying expressions of apprehension, disdain for Anjali, or fierce determination.

"...Listen closely, and listen well. I will only explain this once," Anjali said, her usual superior tone turned up full blast. Man, I couldn't wait to see her get what was coming to her. I almost grinned at the thought. Anjali began to speak, drawing my attention back to her.

"The Ness are an ancient and noble race, the oldest and wisest to ever grace the earth's waters. They demanded to meet with you as well to judge whether or not you are worthy of their aid. Be respectful and silent, do not speak unless spoken to, and answer their questions with the utmost honesty. Do you all understand?"

There were no questions. Anjali nodded, satisfied that her instructions were received. She began walking towards the water, stepping onto it's surface unhindered like she had the night before.

"Come."

"Wait wait wait, What? Are we gonna go in the lake?" Felix asked before anyone else could, "we can't all pull a Jesus and just step out!" He said sarcastically.

"Or a naruto," Mark whispered, making us smile. Anjali glanced back over her shoulder briefly.

"You won't need to. We're going under, not over. If you would all check your pockets, you'll find water charms that will prevent you from drowning," she said dismissively. We all searched our clothes, and sure enough; there were silver charms in each of our pockets. Anjali finally stopped and turned back, already about twenty meters away.

"...You will have to swim, you know," she called out, her face telling us just how stupid she thought we were. We followed her instructions, stripping off our shoes and most of our weapons except for the essentials before wading out into the water. We caught up to her shortly and continued out about half a kilometer. By the time we stopped around fifteen minutes later, Mark was complaining about cramps, and I didn't blame him. Chica did though; she called him a puppy again.

"...What now, Druid?" Dark projected in annoyance. He and Virgil were both in their smoke forms, cheating their way out of swimming. I resented that.

"..." Anjali didn't answer, staring intently down at the surface of the water. I began to get nervous; we were almost directly in the center of the loch, which I knew was about a quarter mile deep. It crossed my mind that with the things I'd seen in past years, the Loch Ness Monster wasn't that far of a stretch...

"Anjali-" Mikhail began. Anjali's head whipped towards him with a glare.

"Quiet!" She hissed before turning back to the water. There was a tense, uneasy silence for about two minutes, the wind and the slow waves the only sound.

That's when it happened.

A couple bubbles floated to the surface underneath us, drawing our eyes to the dark water. The bubbles slowly increased in number, giving me the impression that there was definitely something beneath us. The fact that I couldn't see beneath the surface turned my uneasiness turned to raw fear, and from the looks on everyone else's faces, it was the same for them.

Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my ankle in a crushing iron grip, making me cry out in shock. I barely had time to gasp before I was yanked under the surface, dragged downwards towards the lake bed with dizzying speed.

'Deja vu,' was my last thought before I passed out.

Anti's POV:

I watched from the shore as they were pulled under the lake. My eyebrows rose. That was a little more violent than I was expecting.

"Who are those people?" Atticus asked curiously. I shrugged, turning back and walking away from the lake.

"Just some friends. You'll probably meet them soon," I said dismissively. Atticus paused before jogging to catch up to me.

"Hey, where are we going?" He piped up. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Into town. Stop asking so many questions," I told him wearily. I really wasn't good with kids. He followed me quietly for awhile.

"...Can I ask one more?"

Ugh. "Fine. What is it?"

"What's your name?" He questioned me curiously. Ah. I guess he didn't know my name.

"It's Antioch."

"Cool name. I wish I could say it's nice to meet you, but..." He trailed off. I glanced at him briefly to see a mischievous shit eating grin on his face. I snorted.

"Yeah. Right back at you, kid."


	112. 114

Sean's POV:

'Ugh... where am I?'

I felt weird, but good. I was warm and relaxed and lazy, like I was floating. It was about ten whole seconds before I realized that I actually was floating. I held my breath and fumbled around in the water, trying to get my bearings. Once I was in a relatively stable position where I could keep myself in the same place, I looked around.

Holding your breath will do you more harm than good, traveler, came a soft female voice in my head. I whirled around in the water, searching frantically for the source of the noise. Then her words sank in.

...oh yeah. The water charm. Right.

I began breathing normally, feeling a little foolish. Since I couldn't speak, I addressed the disembodied voice in my thoughts.

Are you the Ness that Anjali was talking about? I asked.

Yes. I have been waiting to meet you, brave green hunter. The tales of your exploits are well known in our world. They are fascinating stories.

I blushed a little at her indirect praise.

It's nothing really, I just had other things driving me is all. I'm nothing special, I thought bashfully, scratching the back of my head.

...hm.

Suddenly, there was a blur of color shooting past my right side, so close it nearly brushed my leg. I floundered for a second, startled. When I was stable again, I turned to examine the newcomer, who was suspended in the water a couple meters away, regarding me calmly.

(Credit to Sereela on deviantart)

She was beautiful in an otherworldly, exotic sort of way, though her naked upper half did make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Her tail was the most fascinating thing about her; it was at least twenty feet long, with graceful, gossamer fins rolling off of it like smoke. The entire thing was in constant motion, moving in wide circles to keep her steady in the water. Remembering what Anjali said about respecting the Ness, I lowered my eyes and bowed as best I could in the water. I didn't really know if they did that here, but I didn't know what else to do. She cocked her head at me in a motion that was more like a twitch.

What are you doing?

I'm bowing. Or attempting to. It's a show of respect among humans, but I guess you guys don't do that here.

No. But thank you. Do you know why we requested your presence in return for our aid, hunter? She asked. I shook my head. I honestly had no idea why I was there.

I am to judge you and test your worth. If you and your companions are deemed worthy, we will restore your friend.

I nodded Grimmly, determined to pass this test, whatever it was.

Anything you need, I'll give it. I won't fail her.

The Ness was silent for a moment before she swam a bit closer, until we were about a half meter apart. I didn't flinch when she put her hand on either side of my skull, her palms on my temples.

Mikhail's POV:

The creature put her hands on my head, making me stiffen slightly before I relaxed, trusting that she meant no harm.

Dark's POV:

She reached for my head. I caught her hands before she could touch me, giving her a warning look. She blinked, unfazed. After a moment, I slowly released her hands and allowed her to place them on my head.

Signe's POV:

Okay, let's do this! I said. The Ness nodded calmly and gently touched either side of my face.

Felix's POV:

Wait. What are you going to do? How do I know I can trust you?

You don't, Seether. But you must.

I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling her hands cradle my head.

Amy's POV:

She placed her hands to my head, palms on my temples. I put my hands over hers and searched her serene face.

Will my friends be alright?

Yes, Sprite. Be still now, kind one.

Marzia's POV:

I jerked back in alarm when the creature reached for me, unwilling to make myself vulnerable in such an unfamiliar environment. The Ness followed my retreat.

Be still, young warrior. It is necessary.

I knew she was right. I closed my eyes and forced myself to remain still at her touch.

Virgil's POV:

I can't say I was jazzed about letting someone other than myself into my noggin. There were things in there that nobody should see- hell, I wished I could UNsee some things. I mentally sighed.

Screw it. Let's do this.

She nodded and cradled my skull. And it began.


	113. 115

Atticus' POV:

We were walking side by side, completely silent. I got the feeling he was pointedly ignoring me. That was okay though. I was used to it, and I preferred the quiet.

Suddenly, a bolt of pain lanced through my skull. I grunted and flinched, stopping to clutch my head as I fell to my knees. Antioch stopped and looked back at me, looking annoyed but mildly curious.

"What is it now, kid?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but my words transitioned to a scream when another wave of pain rolled through me, the fire crawling down my spine and spreading from there to my limbs. I collapsed, writhing on the ground as I burned, clutching my head as if trying to hold it together. I squeezed my eyes shut again, screaming for all I was worth. I knew what I said to Antioch was mostly just bravado; I may have had a high tolerance, but there was only so much I could take.

I was ten after all.

Antioch made a surprised sound and quickly crouched down beside me. He laid a hand on my shoulder, trying to turn me on my side towards him. His words were hard to hear through the unbearable ringing in my ears.

"Easy, kid. Easy! Oh God fucking dammit..." he cursed under his breath. I began hyperventilating, choking on my own breath as I began to shudder violently. I tried to speak, but couldn't get enough air.

"Atticus! Hey, look at me," I heard Antioch instruct. I obeyed, opening my eyes... and...

Oh God.

"I-I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE, IT'S DARK, IT'S JUST DARK I... I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING, I CAN'T...!!" I screamed in panic. I felt my eyes widen in panic as I blinked them rapidly, felt the wet sting of tears well up in them, but my sight...

"Oh fuck, your eyes are- Shit!!" he hissed. I felt him pick me up, cursing bitterly again when I screamed. He began running. My muscles seized violently as we moved. I could feel myself fading, little by little. I felt as if I was being pulled from my body, the pain fading as I floated away...

Anti's POV:

Holy fucking shit.

I was sprinting to town at top speed, about twenty miles an hour. He was a human- well, supposedly- so I had to get him to a hospital, right? For some reason, I couldn't get him to sleep, he just passed out on his own. It was freaky though; even though I knew he was unconscious, his eyes where still open.

And his eyes... I had almost jumped away when he first opened his eyes.

They were black.

Blood red irises.

No pupils.

Those were Dark's eyes.

Dark's POV:

I was walking through an endless, labyrinthine stone maze, trying to ignore the dank smell of mold and decay wafting off of the walls. The silent air was damp and moist and very dim, supplementing the sinister ambience that surrounded me. It was by no means a mystery where I was;

Dread halls.

I understood what the Ness was trying to do, at least in part. She must have been isolating things that made me guilty, things that I hated about myself, things I feared. It only made sense; what better way was there to judge the guilty than to examine their crimes?

You are famed for your cruelty as a Demon, Blood King. Even to those you supposedly love.

It was the voice of the Ness. I didn't pause despite the pang of guilt in my chest, continuing my amble down the twisting paths.

I will not deny this.

You will not defend yourself, then?

I shook my head. No. Nor will I apologize or beg for forgiveness.

...Then what will you do, cruel one, to rectify your sins?

It was asked without inflection, calmly, without either anger or curiosity. I sighed, feeling as if my legs were getting heavier with each step.

I can't do anything. I can't change the past, creature. All I can do is change myself.

Hm. And this frightens you. Why?

I finally stopped, tilting my head towards the cracked, decrepit ceiling.

Yes. It scares me. After all, how does one change his own nature? My natural tendency is savagery; I am a Demon. We are not kind creatures. We do not feel compassion or empathy. It's only through her...

I trailed off, breaking my upward gaze and starting forward again.

...you fear yourself, yes. But the root of your fear is in your love.

And just what makes you say that, creature?

There was no answer for awhile. I felt her in my head, sifting through my private, innermost thoughts. It was a disconcerting sensation. Then she spoke again.

You fear disappointing her. You think yourself evil, selfish, the scum of the earth... and she is your light.

...yes.

Your fear is most noble.

My head shot up again as I stopped cold.

What?

If you glean anything from our meeting, know this one truth and keep it close to your heart:

Good and evil are relative and fluid. It is not the weight of your past sins that I will judge you by, but the sincerity of your repentance.

I judge you worthy.

Mark's POV:

"Hello? Helloooooooo? Anybody hooooome?" I called out, wandering around my empty house. I poked my head into all the rooms- nothing and no one. What was I supposed to be doing here anyway? The last thing I remembered was the Ness grabbing my head, then... nuthin'.

I sighed and went to the living room, throwing myself into a chair. If this was all there was to it, I guess I passed.

Something on the coffee table caught my eye- a newspaper. I picked it up for some reason, even though I didn't read the papers.

It was dated last week. On the front cover, the headline read, TRAGIC FIRE TAKES THE LIFE OF INTERNET ICONS.

My stomach twisted when I saw the pictures above the article; Sean. And Felix. And Tyler and Wade... tears filled my eyes as I read the article, breathing hard.

Four young gaming "youtubers" lost their lives in a tragic freak accident last Friday at the home of Sean McLaughlin. Police are still investigating the cause of the fire. There have been millions of posts across all forms of social media mourning the loss of the internet idols. There are multiple memorial services across the country planned by both fans and...

I stood quickly and dropped the paper as if it had burned me, chest heaving as endless tears streamed down my cheeks.

I backed away from where the paper lay on the floor, nearly falling when I bumped into the couch. I reached the wall, my back slamming into it. I ran my hands through my hair and hung my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I sobbed through gritted teeth. I slid to the floor; I didn't have the strength to stand.

Why? Why?! WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN ME?!

I knew without a doubt that if I could trade my life for theirs, I would do it. In a heartbeat. I would do anything, anything to bring them back. But that wasn't going to happen, was it? WAS IT?!

...Peace,

I startled violently at the voice. I recognised that voice.

"You... you're that Ness. From the lake," I mumbled dumbly. That's when it clicked.

I shot to my feet, whipping my head around to look for the source of the voice. My tears turned into ones of righteous anger.

"Why?! Why would you do that, why would you make me think- fuck!!" I screamed, whirling around and punching the wall that I had been leaning on for support.

"GOD DAMMIT!!"

Peace, Brave one. It was necessary.

I scoffed bitterly. "Oh really. was that your test? Was that it? What do you want from me?!"

Only to see you as you truly are. It is rare to see a human with a soul as bright as yours. Your only fear is on other's behalf, your only desire to protect them and guard them jealously within your pure heart.

I listened until she fell silent, my body relaxing. I didn't have the strength to be angry anymore. And... if this was for Jericho...

"So does that mean I passed?"

Yes. I judge you worthy.

Chica's POV:

I was in the water with the pretty fish lady. I liked her. She was good. She had a pretty voice. Mark would like her.

Hello! I said like Mark told me. The pretty fish lady gave me a pretty smile. She was good. I liked her smile a lot.

Hello, young one. Do you know why you are Here?

I thought about it. Nope. Tell me?

You are here to be tested for your worth, not as an animal, but as a human. May I touch you for a moment, young one?

Yes! Pet? I wiggled my tail. It didn't go as fast. Oh. It was the water.

Not exactly.

Oh. Okay. Aw...

The pretty fish lady put her hands on my head. My head felt funny. I wiggled my ears. I shook my head. It tickled. When the lady pulled her hands away, I felt...

Different. Very, very, different. What had happened to me? I cocked my head at the lady- the Ness in confusion.

What... did you just do to me? I asked. She smiled again.

I completed your conversion. You know everything your bound knows in terms of language.

I stopped cocking my head. I was surprised, but pleasantly. I could definitely feel a distinct change in me. Like the fact that two minutes ago I had no idea what the words pleasant, distinct, or even definitely meant.

Oh. Thank you, miss. Mark will like this! I wagged my tail at the thought of showing off when I got back.

So what's the test?

She shook her head, waving a delicate hand through the water.

There is no need; you are pure, so much so that I can feel your light without delving into your mind.

I judge you worthy, young one.

To be continued


	114. 116

Wiishu's POV:

I broke the surface of the water with a gasp, gulping in air. That was close.

"Signe, you do know that you're still wearing the water charm, right?"

I turned in the water to see Mikhail not fifteen feet away on the shore laying his shirt out to dry by a fire, Virgil, Amy, and Felix doing the same while Chica ran around the fire, shaking and snorting comically every once in awhile. All of them had changed into loose fitting sweat pants that I assumed came from either Virgil or Dark. Mark was obviously trying very hard not to look at Amy, who was apparently very comfortable in a sports bra and sweatpants. Lol.

"Oh, yeah. Nice of them to let us go so close to the shore," I said as I swam over. Mikhail snorted and settled down on the grass to clean his weapons.

"Hey, so is everyone Okay? If you guys' experience was anything like mine, it must have been pretty uncomfortable," I said, wringing out my hair beforegrabbing some sweatpants. I knew good and well what the Ness must have brought up for Mikhail and Amy; I honestly hoped that the rest of them didn't have as traumatic experiences as us.

"Eh. We're fine... those guys are dicks, though," said Mark, mumbling the last part.

"It was necessary," Amy reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "they had to-"

She stopped talking when Mark stiffened, turned beet red, let out a weird strangled noise, and darted off towards the trees. Amy stared after him in confusion as I fell to the ground in wild laughter. I heard Mikhail snort.

"Wooooooow. Smooth move, sprite," smirked Virgil as I wiped tears from my eyes, "Ten bucks says he hasn't stopped running yet."

"What? What did I do?" Asked Amy, looking around at all of us with an almost comically puzzled expression. I walked over towards the fire to lay out my clothes, slapping a hand on her shoulder as I passes her.

"Nevermind," I chuckled. At the sound of a loud splash, we all turned to see a cloud of silver and black smoke shoot out of the lake, a long trail of water following it through the air. It struggled towards us through the air with none of its usual grace, pausing for a moment before tumbling to the ground.

There stood a furious Dark, hair mussed and plastered to his face, suit soaking wet, standing in a puddle of the water pouring off of him. He looked like a grumpy cat that had just been bathed against its will.

I once again collapsed and dissolved into hysterical guffaws, rolling from side to side as I clutched my aching stomach. Amy slapped a hand over her mouth and whirled away to stifle her giggles. Virgil didn't bother to hide his snicker. Even Mikhail let out a loud guffaw.

Dark's eyes shone a bright blood red, his wicked aura flaring to life around him as he fixed us with a piercing glare. He. Looked. Pissed.

We all stopped for a second and sobered up at his display. We would have made it too, if it weren't for Chica. She ran over to Dark and reared back to put her paws on his chest, causing him to stumble back and nearly fall. She licked his face and bolted off before he could retaliate, her psychic laughter audible over his deadly snarl.

We all started laughing again. Dark glared at us for a moment before letting his power deflate with a sigh upon realizing it wasn't having the desired effect.

"Oh! Oh MAN I needed that," Virgil sighed when everything had calmed down. Dark huffed and sat beside Mikhail by the fire. Mikhail looked surprised, but quickly concealed it.

"Well, once my power recharges, I'll be able to- ah, there we go," Dark said, snapping his fingers. The water on his body dragged itself away, forming into a ball in front of him... which he then flung at me. I dodged, laughing. Dark let out a small chuckle.

"In any case, where are the others? Have they not returned?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No. But I hope they're all okay..." I said, remembering my own experience.

Fifteen minutes earlier...

"I'm sorry Aoife, I really am. But I just can't do this anymore," one of the girls before me said. It was in the dead of night, the scant silver light from the weak half moon the only thing illuminating the forest they stood in.

"This war, it's pointless. What is the point of power without principles? Morals? Humanity? We can't-"

"Humanity? Think what you will of our coven, Signe, but we are not, and will never be, human," the woman spat the word like it tasted bad.

I knew exactly what this was. I was viewing a memory from the outside in, one of my defining moments. My desertion. My first one, anyway.

Aoife:

(I couldn't find the artist; I'll keep looking tho)

"You say human like it's a bad thing," the young Signe before me said. Aoife scoffed.

"It is. They are weak and frail, no match for any of us."

"Is it weak to strive for peace? To be kind? Is it really weakness to trade all this ridiculous, pointless bloodshed for brotherhood and peace? I don't think so."

She turned her back on the high priestess of her coven and began walking away.

"Maybe I'd rather be human."

"If you do this, you forfeit your status as future priestess!" Aoife shouted, taking a step forward before she stopped herself.

"If you do this, Signe... you are no longer my daughter," she hissed with no small amount of venom. Signe stopped, but didn't turn.

"When have you ever been my mother? You were always the priestess to me. I never got to have a mother."

Signe began walking again, pulling her cowl over her head.

"Farewell... priestess."

She was only twelve.

The scene blurred and shifted with a dizzying motion. The grass became stone, and the night turned to day as the burning heat of the Israeli sun overtook it.

"Mikhail... Mikhail! Stop, please!" Signe shouted as she tried to step in front of him to get a look into his eyes. The young Mikhail ignored her, stepping around her and continuing to follow Meesha away from the body of the fallen comrade he'd betrayed. That we'd all betrayed. He was carrying the broken body of Arihaan, staring straight ahead with a stone cold expression. Signe stopped following him, letting him pass her by as she stared brokenly after him.

"Mikhail... don't you feel anything? Anything at all? He was... was..."

Mikhail stopped just inside the temple entrance, turning his head slightly.

"He was a Demon, Signe. Just a Demon."

Signe flinched back at his words, tears filling her eyes. She looked heartbroken. And she was.

"But he wasn't needlessly violent! How can a lion become a vegetarian, Mikhail?" She protested. Her comrade of three years was silent. Signe shook her head.

"I left my coven because I wanted to protect people. I ran away from that blood and bitterness between our covens because I wanted to believe there was a better way. There is a better way, Mikhail!!" She shouted hoarsely at his back. He didn't so much as flinch. Signe seemed to wilt.

"I just wanted to be human, Mikhail... don't you?"

Her voice was soft and wavery, like she couldn't get out more than a whisper. Mikhail slowly walked away, without so much as a farewell. Signe fell to her knees, her tears dripping silently to the floor.

"...I...want to be human."

The scene froze, the air going still as time stopped. I kept my eyes on the broken Signe before me, just taking everything in. I was trying very, very hard to keep my emotions in check. I'd already broken down about this once- okay, maybe multiple times- and I wasn't keen on doing so again.

Do you feel that you have achieved your goal, youngling Witch?

I wiped my eyes and glanced around, not knowing where to turn to address the familiar voice.

"There are easier ways to ask, you know. And I'm still trying. It never just stops, you know? You have to try to be who you want to be every day. I think that's what being human is; it's trying, and never stopping," I explained, sure of myself despite my pain.

And your desertion? Your guilt?

"That'll always be there," I shrugged, "I'll never escape that. but once again... I can try."

...Well said, youngling witch.

"Hey, I'm not that young. But did I pass? I don't know if that's what you wanted to hear..." I said unsurely. I really hoped that the test was over. That wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience.

I judge you worthy...noble witch.

Back in the present...

It wasn't the most enjoyable thing. And I would bet money that the scene the Ness whipped up for Mikhail was the same as my second one. Looking at him, you wouldn't notice any emotional turmoil, but then again, that was Micky for you.

I felt even more sorry for Amy though. She probably had the worst time of all of us.

Anti's POV:

This was easily the weirdest thing I'd ever seen from a human, hands down. Sean and his friend's shenanigans included.

Over the course of the past hour, Atticus' eyes had changed color from Dark's aesthetic to normal blue human eyes, to green, and to several shades of brown as he had fits and vocal spasms all the while. What the actual fuck was going on with this kid?

Once I'd got him to the nearest hospital, I'd put a cloaking spell over both of us and gone to the nearest room, reappearing once I was in. I layed him down on the bed and shut and locked the door.

Alright, what should I do... the fuck did I even come here? What do humans even do in this situation? Shit.

I opened the door and waited til no one was looking before grabbing a passing nurse by the lapel of her scrub, yanking her into the room. I turned her around and shoved her towards the bed where Atticus was writhing and mumbling.

"He's having a seizure. Do something," I demanded. She turned and glared at me, rubbing the Mark on her neck.

"Listen here, you can't just-"

I summoned my sword and swung it towards her neck, stopping at the last second so that it was about a centimeter away from her skin. She yelped and began quaking, her eyes wide.

"Listen lady, I've had a pretty stressful couple of days. There's a lot of doctors in this hospital to replace You- I'd have no trouble doing just that. Understand?" I asked coldly. She nodded and shakily walked over to the cabinets on the other side of the room. Ugh. Humans. They were like mice.

She withdrew a syringe and a small bottle, filling the needle with the clear liquid. I watched closely as she approached the bed.

"Y-you'll need to h-help me hold him," she said shakily, avoiding my eyes.

"Okay. Where?"

"Um, h-his arm."

With my help, she injected the liquid into the vein on the underside of his elbow. He gradually began to calm down, finally slipping into a relaxed sleep, his eyelids falling shut. I turned to the nurse.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Um... anesthesia. We use it to put patients to sleep..." she said softly. I cocked my head.

"Show me the bottle. How much did you give him?"

She handed me the bottle shakily and pointed on the needle where she had filled it to. I looked closely, memorizing it before nodding.

"Thanks."

I whipped my sword out again, this time slitting her throat nearly halfway through. My shadows darted out to capture the blood that spewed from her neck as she fell to the floor, gurgling. Hm. Maybe I shouldn't have killed her so quickly. The emotions I got from that felt more like shock than fear.

I scrounged around the cabinet, finding three more bottles of the stuff as well as a shit ton of the type of syringe she used before taking Atticus' backpack and heading out to find more, locking the door on my way out and warding it.

Kid was more trouble than he was worth.


	115. 117

Felix's POV:

What the hell?

I was standing in the middle of a large, dimly lit room. It looked like the dojo in Virgil's dimension. I spun slowly in a circle, feeling uneasy. Why was I here? Was this a vision? Why was that Ness chick doing this?

I whirled around at the sound of a deep, animalistic growl. A hunched form walked- well, more like prowled- out of the shadows at the edge of the room, breathing heavily. I blanched at the face glaring at me from across the dojo...

It was me.

I had blood on my clawed hands and surrounding my fanged mouth that was open in a vicious snarl. My head was lowered in a deadly, piercing glare and my eyes... my eyes were yellow, like an animal's. My heart began pumping double time as I observed this wild, corrupted version of myself. Was this... was this what other people saw when I raged? Was that what I looked like when I battled those elites? Was that... me?

What the fuck was this Ness' game??

The thing suddenly snarled and charged towards me full speed, claws and fangs bared. I braced myself, knowing full well there would be no escape, vision or not. I was relieved to see that my weapons were on me; there was that at least. I drew my guns and whirled around and hunched slightly so the thing crashed into my shield. It grunted with the force as I pushed back at the moment of impact.

That's right, eat it motherfucker!

I turned and fired at its hunched form for the kill... aaaaand they weren't working. Awesome. I groaned and tossed them to the side, whipping out my sword just in time to block a swipe aimed towards my neck. Now, the problem with that was that he had caught my sword, leaving his other hand free. I only realized this after he made a deep gash in my gut. I let out a howl of pain as hot blood poured down my front, my vision going red.

The switch flipped. All I saw was blood, all I smelled was blood, all I wanted was more blood. Not mine, but his. His blood. I had to have his blood! HE HAD TO BLEED!!!

I screamed and wrenched the sword from his grasp by whirling around in a circle. I used the momentum to swing it full force at the hand he'd just used to wound me. The motion was so quick that his hand remained attached to his wrist for a full second before falling to the ground in a fountain of blood. I grinned savagely as the thing with my face clutched the spewing stump to his chest and roared. I ditched the sword and grabbed his throat with both hands, relishing his gurgle and the luscious garnet warmth that flowed between my fingers. I growled and sunk in deeper before raking my claws quickly down and away, shredding his throat. He toppled to the ground, the feral light fading from his eyes. The high of my victory was like a drug, like ecstasy. I could feel the adrenaline screaming through my veins like I'd just gone skydiving. It was pure exhilaration.

And then I came back.

I stumbled backwards, groaning and clutching my head to hold it together as the world tilted and shook around me, bringing me to my knees. When the nauseating sensation finally faded, it still took me awhile to lift my head. The sight that lay before me made me want to vomit.

It was me. Laying bloody and broken and shredded on the cold ground, my life blood trickling slowly from my neck. There were no claws. No fangs. No red eyes. It just looked like me, weapons and all. I looked slowly down at my hands, knowing what I would find. Claws. Long, bloody claws.

I stumbled to my feet, panting and gasping, confused, angry tears filling my eyes. I shook my head slowly as I backed away from his- from my body. I tripped and fell over something as I went, tumbling to the ground with a grunt. It was my shield. Shaking violently and struggling to breathe through my near hysteria, I crawled over to it and peered at my reflection.

It was a monster. A fanged mouth, blood stained face, and glowing golden eyes. Snake eyes. Just like the eyes that tortured me for four weeks when I was twenty.

Just. Like. Fell.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!"

I screamed and shoved the shield away, slamming my fists on the floor.

"NO! that's not me, THIS ISN'T ME, DAMMIT!!!" I cried, willing myself to wake up. I wasn't a monster, I wasn't! I couldn't help it! I slammed my hands into the stone ground again, unable to stop the tears that flooded my eyes.

...I judge you worthy, noble beast.

As soon as her voice resonated in my head, it was over.


	116. 118

Anti's POV:

I was sitting in a plush chair by the window of a hotel room I'd jacked from an elderly couple on vacation from the states. I'd purposely chosen a room with people in it; I mean sure I could have nabbed the room right next door, but where was the fun in that? The boy was on the bed. He'd stopped convulsing due to the anesthesia, but he still mumbled from time to time.

My head whipped away from the window at a loud gasp from Atticus. His eyes flew open once again as my own narrowed. Blue. But there was something about this set of eyes that didn't seem quite as random. I got up and approached, leaning over him to get a good look. Why did they look so familiar...?

I touched his face to turn it towards me to see them better. Suddenly, his vacant eyes widened and flew to mine, making me almost flinch. His hand shot up and latched onto my wrist, a strange electricity shooting from his hand into mine. I growled and tried to yank my hand away, but he wouldn't budge. God dammit, what now?

He suddenly sat up, nearly banging foreheads with me. I jerked back, but couldn't stop him from bringing a hand to my face. Once he did, I couldn't do anything; I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I was actually a little scared at this point. I looked into his eyes one more time. And that's when it hit me. The reason they were so familiar.

Right before I blacked out, the last thought I had was, Sean...?

And it was over.

Sean's POV:

"Hey, Irish! Have a nice swim?" Asked Wiishu with a grin as she helped me out of the water. I didn't respond, tugging her to me and kissing her for all I was worth as I crushed her body to mine. She made a surprised sound and stiffened before melting in my arms. There was a brief silence before a round of applause and amused laughter broke out around us that was easily ignored.

When we finally broke the kiss, Wiishu looked up at me in confusion, panting.

"What the hell was that for?" She asked with a breathless laugh. I smirked.

"Does it matter?"

"Nope." She pulled me back down for another round. There were groans and gags from our comrades that, once again, we ignored.

"What was that on the plane about not mind-fucking each other in front of everyone else?" Asked an endlessly amused Dark. I pulled away to cock an eyebrow at him.

"Stuff it, Demon."

I honestly couldn't care less what anyone else thought at the moment. After what happened with the Ness down there, I wasn't about to waste one more second beating around the bush.

Fifteen minutes earlier...

It was a scene that I was well acquainted with. There she was, the love of my life, her beautiful body and face covered head to toe in blood. I was reminded all at once exactly how much I hated Anti, and of the many reasons why.

I closed my eyes and swallowed down the lump of guilt and resentment in my throat. I knew this wasn't real. it had to be part of the Ness' test. I'd worked so, so hard to move on from this; I couldn't turn back now. It's not what Sheila would have wanted.

"And what would I have wanted, Sean?"

I froze, eyes flying open as my blood turned to ice. It had been so, so long since I'd heard that voice, but it was unmistakable.

"Sheila?" I whispered shakily. The body on the bed blinked, twitched, and sat up, looking like a marionette with its limbs hanging limp on strings. She had been hanging off the bed with her face towards me, so now all I could see was her backside. Her head was limp.

"What would I have wanted?"

I gulped, too petrified to speak for a moment. I gathered my courage.

"For me to move on. Not to linger. I know you, Sheila... or I did. You're gone now. You're gone..." I swallowed thickly, "...and you're not coming back."

I hung my head, my fists clenching tightly. "I love you. At one time, more than anything else this world had to offer. I... a part of me died with you, when you left. But I have the chance to fix myself, Sheila. Put the pieces back together. Even though I love you. I love you, and always will."

Then I said out loud the hardest thing I ever had to say:

"...And that's why I'm letting you go."

There was silence. No response. I looked up in confusion to find that she was gone. The person I saw standing in shock across the room was the absolute last thing I wanted to see:

"Touching. Now what the hell did you do, Sean?" Growled Anti.


	117. 119

Sean's POV:

"Touching. Now what the hell did you do, Sean?" Anti growled. I straightened, glaring at him with all the contempt I could muster.

"Really? Of all the people the Ness decided to bring in, it had to be you? I guess it makes sense though," I muttered the last part. Anti scoffed.

"Oh, I'm not part of whatever bad acid trip these things are shoving you little rats into. I'm the real deal," he smirked before his face darkened again, "Now why. Am I. Here? Your answer better be a good one. I don't do party requests."

You both are linked, Intentionally or not. For better or worse, Your fates are intertwined.

We broke our bitter staring contest at the sound of the Ness' soft voice. Anti raised an eyebrow at me.

"That her?"

I nodded, looking at the ceiling and walls rather than at him to search for the source of the noise. Anti reacted in true form.

"Alright, listen here you fucking salmon. If you don't tell me why I'm in jolly green's godforsaken mess of a mind in the next-" he stopped suddenly as if realizing something. He had a strange look on his face.

"Does this have something to do with Atticus?" He asked slowly. It was my turn to cock an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Shut It!" He snapped without looking at me, "Answer me, Ness! Before you really do become extinct! What does the kid have to do with all of this?"

...he is the medium. This is all I will say. The test begins now.

And she was gone. I could feel her presence disappear from the room in a rush, leaving me and Anti standing alone on the blood soaked carpet. I suddenly remembered who he was, where we were, and what he had done to me. Suddenly, I didn't care about the test so much. I screamed and charged, tackling him to the ground while he was lost in thought. He grunted at the impact, dodging my fists before dissolving into smoke and shooting to the other side of the room. He reformed, dusting himself off as I growled and pushed off the ground. I charged again, but this time he was ready. Right before I got to him, he reached out with a single finger and simply held it out so that it touched my forehead before I ever made contact.

My head shot back and I flew across the room, slamming into the wall and sliding to the floor. He giggled.

"Man, you feel that? I am having the weirdest sense of deja vu here," he laughed," and look at you, all that passion on your adorable little baby face. Oof, gives me chills," he said, shivering mockingly and grinning all the while. I picked myself up, panting and leaning on the wall for support.

"Why, dammit?! I've accepted that she's gone, I've moved on, made a new life, but I KEEP COMING BACK TO YOU!! WHY DID YOU DO IT?!" I screamed, my voice increasing in volume.

"You took everything from me! You stole my love, my life, even my sleep! I haven't been able to sleep soundly for years, you god damn bastard!"

Anti listened with a blank face, observing me silently as I stood there panting. His expression was something like vague curiosity.

"SAY SOMETHING!!" I roared, sick of his nonchalance. Anti cocked his head at me, thinking.

"This isn't what she wants," he muttered as he watched me. I blinked. Once, then twice.

"Pardon?"

"You're pardoned. This isn't what she wants. The Ness don't care about strength or fighting prowess. They wouldn't put you through a trial by combat," he explained shortly.

"Okay genius, what do you propose we do then?" I snarked. He raised an eyebrow.

"I think we're supposed to talk."

I had no idea how to proceed with this. What the hell was he doing? Anti wasn't a 'talk it out' kind of guy. He thought with his weapons, not his brain. Anti shook his head and laughed- a real laugh. It was even more disconcerting than his sadistic little giggle.

"I heard that, Luigi. And we might as well; do you really think that this is a test of strength? Use your head. Andclose your mouth, you look as stupid as you are."

I snapped my jaw shut. He was right. About the test, not the stupid thing. I closed my eyes and sighed, letting my head thump back against the wall.

"Well excuse me if I don't really feel like talking to the man who murdered the love of my life in the actual room he murdered her in," I said sarcastically, trying to let my anger go for a moment.

"Mm'kay. So change it."

I opened my eyes to give him a puzzled look. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"Stop that!"

"No. And I said change it. I gave you third eye abilities. We're in your noggin, so change it."

I thought about it for a second before deciding it was worth a shot. "Sure. I mean, when have you ever steered me wrong? Oh wait," I said flatly.

Anti snorted as I closed my eyes and willed the room to change back to normal. I opened my eyes: nope. I tried once more, harder this time: nope again.

"Try snapping."

I opened one eye. "Does that cliche actually help?"

"Heh. Believe it or not, yeah."

I closed my eyes one last time and snapped. When I opened them, the room was once again restored to its former glory. It had been a long time since I'd seen this; I had moved away right after the incident, and- Then I remembered why I was there. I turned to glare at Anti. He chuckled and raised an eyebrow, sitting down in a chair in the corner of the room.

"Well? Let's have it then."

"Why did you do it?" I asked angrily, my sentence overlapping the last part of his. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"For fun."

That was the worst possible thing he could have said. In a fit of rage, I summoned a kunai out of thin air and threw it at him full speed. He yelped and dissolved just before it reached him. When he reformed, he was standing, glaring at me with crossed arms.

"Jesus Christ! Calm the fuck down, Naruto!" He snapped in annoyance.

"Can you be serious for ONCE IN YOUR FUCKIN' LIFE!? GIVE ME A REASON GOD DAMN YOU!!" I screamed. His eyes darkened and he smiled. A smile, not a smirk or a grin. It was creepy.

"Other than why the fuck not?" He asked quietly. My fists clenched so hard they shook, but I remained silent. Keep calm, it's for Jericho...

"Sean, I'm going to level with you here," said Anti, his face growing deadly serious.

"This world is a cruel place, cold and pitiless and darker than a bad dream. Even more so in the life of a Paranormal, any of us. You want trauma? You want some seriously fucked up shit? Then take a look in my head."

"What, do you expect me to feel sorry for you?" I scoffed.

"Fuck no. I don't do pity. But my point is, do you seriously think that I started out as fucked up as I am now?" He asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. I just stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

"Even the current Demon King hasn't seen what I have, done the things I did when I was with Fell. Dark is known for his cruelty, and Fell for his power, but me? I'm known for my insanity. You know that little giggle I do that I know you just love? The way my voice distorts?"

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that's a defense tactic. Armour. In the Paranormal world, fear is everything; what matters is if other beings are afraid of you."

"Wait, stop for a second," I said, shaking my head and waving my hands in front of me as if to ward off his words, "Why are you telling me this?" I was seriously weirded out.

Anti shrugged. "Fuck if I know. Maybe it's this damn link. But you want a reason, Sean? Do you really? Well there isn't one. It's who I am. Like I said, the world is cold and cruel, and I'm the one who makes it that way. It's what the world made me. I happily embrace my role in life, so If you want an apology, we'll be here a long time."

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to throw something, pummel something, to kill something. Namely him. I hated him. I hated him so god damn much!

"Do you really?"

"What?" I asked. He continued to stare at me, expressionless.

"Clean out your ears, You sound like a broken record. Do you really hate me? Really? What point would there be in hating a lion for eating your pet? Right, there wouldn't be a point," he said with out waiting for me to answer, "It's just the lion's nature. You know good and well it's the same with me."

"You resent me, you resent my nature, but you don't hate me. So the question is," he sat back in the chair, resting the side of his face in his fingers as he observed me thoughtfully, "what's really eating you, Sean?"

I looked at him for the millionth time like he was speaking Swahili. I blinked, once, then twice before letting my gaze fall slowly to the floor. What's really...?

My eyes widened a bit as I realized that no, I didn't hate him. I hated what he had done, I hated what happened, but I didn't hate him; I hated myself. Anti snapped his fingers and pointed.

"Bingo."

The guilt I felt was what kept me up at night, the raw, burning regret that I wasn't able to protect her. That's why it had been so hard for me to move on: I felt like I was responsible for leaving her alone, for not realizing the danger. It was groundless blame, I knew; how could I have known? But the guilt was there nonetheless.

And therein lies your one fatal flaw, brave Hunter.

Our heads shoot upward at her disembodied voice. "Care to elaborate so I can go home?" Anti asked snarkily. I said nothing, simply waiting for her. I felt like her next words would be worth it.

Listen to me now, hunter, and listen well. you are not the one at fault. In a way, neither is your Demon; not the way he is now, not the creature he is becoming.

"What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Growled Anti.

Silence, Demon. You will be free in a moment. Hunter.

"Yes?"

Do you love your lost one?

"Yes."

And do you love the one you found?

"Yes."

Then be at peace with both, and let the past go. Every piece of hatred, guilt, and regret. Do you understand, brave Hunter?

"Yes... but how did all of this have anything to do with the test?" I asked in confusion. Anti nodded in agreement. A feeling like laughter washed over us both.

It didn't.

Both of our jaws dropped in disbelief. "What the-" began Anti, but was cut off once again by the Ness.

I judge you worthy, Hunter. And your Demon, with time, will be so as well. Farewell to you both.

And then it was over.

Author's note: guys, I really want to delve more into the Sean/Anti conflict; it's probably one of the most important plot points in this story. It'll just take one more chapter.

And then we can get to Jericho. :3

Also, I wanted to mention a friend of mine, wraythskitsofrenic. She's the first one who took an interest in my story, and also the one who wrote the story that inspired me to write this one. Go check out her dark x oc story, "Mark of Darkness." It's good, I promise!


	118. 120

Anti's POV:

I awoke with a deep gasp, my eyes shooting open as I flew to my feet. I shook my head to clear it and glared at Atticus' now peaceful form.

Little shit.

I stomped over to the chair and threw myself down on it, glaring out the window sullenly. What had that damn fish meant by, "What he is becoming?" And why did I have the feeling that a large part of this centered around Atticus?

I heard another groan from the brat in question, making me sigh wearily as I looked over to see what the matter was this time. For the millionth time in the past three hours, I froze. His eyes were an incredibly light blue, extremely close to white. There were few dark spokes on the irises. First Dark, then all the random ones, then Sean, and now this. There was absolutely no doubt about it;

Those eyes were Jericho's.

Atticus' POV:

I squinted and blinked rapidly as the cold wind slapped at my face. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked around in confusion for the umpteenth time. When would these awful visions end? There had been nine so far, six guys and three girls. There was a flash of another girl, but something threw me out of the vision before I saw anything of substance.

I hated this. All I had seen from these were people being tortured, tried and tested by their own personal Demons. In the case of the man named Sean, the term 'personal Demons' was quite literal.

That one had been the absolute worst; seeing what Anti was capable of, being reminded exactly the kind of monster he was... It made me shudder. I felt a little guilty that I still preferred his company to that of most all of the humans I'd ever met. Kids like me were often ignored, paid no mind in the orphanage except to feed them or whisk them away if they were adopted. To make things worse, I was bullied and ostracized for my quiet nature and love of fine literature. So Yes, I preferred the company of a Demon. That didn't mean I could stay with him though. As soon as I got out of here, I would have to make good on the opportunity he'd given me to disappear, get off the grid. I had to escape; danger followed wherever he went, and I didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. I would bide my time and ditch him at the first opportunity.

But I could think about that later. I

Saw lights in the distance that looked like a town; gathering my strength, I began running towards it, knowing that the faster I moved, the better chances I had of avoiding hypothermia. Running through the snow was hard; within minutes, my feet were soaked. By the ten minute mark, I couldn't feel them.

It was quite awhile before I arrived, at least thirty minutes. By that time, I was shivering violently, clenching my teeth to keep them from chattering too hard. I had never resented short sleeves more. I stumbled into the first building I came to, a log cabin type structure. I burst through the door, putting a stop to the loud chatter in the room. It looked like some sort of cozy restaurant, most likely a bar. I felt immeasurable relief at the warmth of the two fire places near the front, collapsing to my hand and knees as my last reserves of strength drained away.

"Oh man. Hey! Barkeep! Get this kid some hot chocolate and some food!" Said the wide, blurry form that helped me off the ground.

"Give him these blankets and bring him by the fire! Are you okay sweetie? A ridiculous high pitched crackle of a voice said. I shook my head, unable to respond. The next couple minutes were a blur of funny voices and fuzzy, oddly shaped blurs fussing over me. I closed my eyes, focusing on warming up.

"Alright, alright, give him some air! Go back to your business, he'll be fine," a gruff growling voice said, "you got it covered, Sans?"

"Yeah, it's cool. He'll be back to normal in no time," said the very first voice I'd heard. It sounded friendly, but slightly goofy.

"Where did he come from?" Asked a female voice. It sounded like a perfectly normal human voice. I opened my eyes finally to see a pretty woman with piercing sky blue eyes and platinum blond hair peering closely at me, no longer a blur. The other person was... a skeleton. I opened my mouth to ask before snapping it shut, thinking better of it. Believe it or not, I'd seen stranger things.

The other beings around me weren't much different. Well actually they were different, wildly so, each one stranger than the last. The surrounding scene was an amalgamation of feathers and fangs and beaks and claws, with beings of all shapes and sizes and colors. I shook my head in amazement, unable to speak for a different reason than the cold.

"Oh, them? Yeah, those are monsters, but they're nice," said the only normal human girl in front of me. If she weren't surrounded by such outlandish creatures, her features would seem exotic.

"You get used to them after awhile. This is Sans the Skeleton," she pointed a thumb to the Skeleton beside her, who gave me an anatomically impossible grin, "and I'm Jericho. What's your name?"


	119. 121

Jericho's POV:

"What's your name?" I asked the little boy in front of me curiously. He was the only other human I'd come across in this place, the first I had seen in what felt like a month. It was disconcerting to see someone of my own species in front of me after all the weirdness. I smiled at him, trying to make him a little more comfortable. He was cute; curly, unkempt blond hair and big blue eyes that shone with youth. Those bright eyes blinked at me for a second before he answered.

"...Solomon. Atticus Solomon," he said softly in a distracted tone, his eyes drifting away from mine to gaze at a place directly above my head, "your light is so soft..."

I drew back a bit and shot a puzzled look at Sans, who shrugged. "My light? What do you mean?" I asked. He seemed to come back to himself, blinking rapidly and focusing back on me.

"Uh... nevermind. It's always hard to explain. Did you say your name was Jericho? Do you know someone named Antioch?"

My eyebrows shot up at the name.

"Yeah, he's caused a lot of trouble for me and my friends, and that's putting it mildly. How do you know him, Atticus?" I really hoped Anti hadn't done anything to hurt him.

"I was traveling with him for the past two days in Ireland before the visions started. He hasn't hurt me, if that's what you're wondering," he said. I cocked my head. He was being pretty nonchalant about all this. Sans listened to our conversation silently as the rest of the bar bustled around us.

"And how did you end up here? Do you know a way back out? I've been stuck here for awhile," I asked hopefully. I wilted when he shook his head. "Oh. Alright..."

"I'm sorry, Jericho. I wish I could help. It's just that this is the tenth vision I've had, and I don't even know why I was in any of them," he said, his eyes falling to the floor.

"I do."

We both turned to sans in shock.

"What? Why didn't you say something, Sans?" I asked, irritated by his usually endearing lackadaisical attitude. Sans shrugged yet again.

"I dunno. You looked busy."

"Well we're not. Spill it, brittle bones," I snarked. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright, I give! Just for the record, I don't know why you're here. Never did. But he," sans booped Atticus' nose with a bony finger, making him wrinkle it, "is a medium. He's here to take you back to wherever you came from. Or he'll help anyway. "

"What does all that mean? Take her back?" Asked Atticus, pulling the blankets tighter around him.

"A Demon named Fell shattered my mind with Anti's- Antioch's- help, and I ended up here with no memory of who I was. I had to travel through the towns in the underground to gather the pieces back up. But even though I remember everything..."

"She still can't go back for some reason," Sans finished, "Something or someone is keeping her in place. But some other something or someone guided you here to help."

Atticus furrowed his brow in thought. "It must have been whoever gave me those visions. And what's a medium, anyway?"

Sans shrugged, a gesture that was beginning to annoy me to no end. "I don't know all of the nitty gritty details, just the parts that have to do with this place. All I know is that when the time comes, you have to be near her to pull her out when you leave."

My heart filled with hope. "So I might finally get to go home?" To Dark? I prayed for it to be true.

"Well yeah. As long as whatever is holding you here is gone before you two leave." Then he grinned.

"I'll be lonely when you leave, though. I guess you could say I'll have... no body."

Atticus and I grimaced at the bad joke.

"What? Didn't that tickle your funny bone?"

"How soon can we leave," Atticus groaned, sounding like he was in pain. I chuckled.

"I'm sure it'll be soon. My friends are gonna get us both out; I can feel it."


	120. 122

Fell's POV:

I laughed softly under my breath as I meditated, unable to completely stifle my glee. I could sense exactly what the little band of misfits was up to halfway across Europe, could see all the Pieces falling together from my perch on the Tower of London.

I had always adored this building; Anti and I had tortured many in the depths of its dungeons in the height of the middle ages, compelling other humans to do our work for us as well. We made it quite famous. Ah, I could still hear the screams now.

But I was more interested in the goings on in the present day. It was so adorable how that little band of rats thought they were outsmarting me.

Especially Anti... tsk-tsk. He should know better by now.

Why did they think I had stopped halfway through the process of bringing out Anjali permanently? No doubt Anti thought that it was because Anjali had to do it herself. The little fool. A minor feat such as that is well within the limits of my power. If I just wanted Anjali, I could have gotten her easily. No, I needed both druids. That's the only thing I couldn't do, at least not safely.

There had been some unplanned variables of course, like Anti confiding in Sean... and like the boy. Now there was an issue I would have to revisit later.

Nonetheless, my grin remained on my face. My victory was assured.

And how sweet it would taste...


	121. 123

Virgil's POV:

About an hour after all of us emerged from the Loch, our clothes were dry and dandy. Dark had refused to dry any of our clothes for us because he was salty about being laughed at, and Anjali... Well. I wasn't going near that great big bag of dicks. Actually that wasn't an option anyway, seeing as she hadn't shown Jericho's borrowed face since we were yanked into the water. How they managed to pull me into the water in smoke form, I'll never know.

Sean was busy being all lovey dovey with his girlfriend- barf- but spared me the occasional meaningful glance to let me know he was ready. I wasn't worried though, at least not about him pulling his weight. Now, about the operation as a whole? Hell yeah. I was fucking terrified. That ancient sack of bones was the baddest bitch I'd ever laid eyes on magic-wise; if this went sideways, and her magic overcame both mine and Anti's... yeah. There wouldn't be enough left of me to bury.

I shoved my apprehension down Into the tiny box that I kept all of my emotions in (yay for poor coping methods due to psychological trauma) and continued going over the ritual reversal chants in my head. I remained separated from the rest of the group, making sure to put an extra special scowl on my face, as if I was deep in unpleasant thought and didn't want to be bothered. Which was true. As always.

But just in case.

"Are we ready to begin?"

I turned to see the queen bitch herself suddenly standing in the middle of our group. Ugh. Wiping that self righteous sneer off of her snooty face would be orgasmic. Jericho's expressions fit her much better.

Everyone stood and turned to her. I kept my face neutral as always; Sean was having a rougher time, struggling to keep the glare out of his eyes. Humans. Anjali began to speak in the tense silence. I muttered to myself in my head as she spoke.

"I suppose this is goodbye (damn right it is). I will not pretend that I have had the best of times travelling with you, (really, cause you seem pretty good at pretending. Whore.) But I bid you all good fortune nonetheless. (Faker than a kardashian's plastic ass.) I will begin now. Farewell." (Oh yeah. Let's go, bitch.)

We gathered around as she snapped her fingers, an arcane looking circular structure appearing beneath her, around ten feet in diameter and made of a soft white light.

She put her hands together in a praying motion and took a breath to speak before Dark stopped her.

"If we see the slightest hint of foul play... we will end this and restrain you. Do you understand, Druid?" He asked stonily.

"...perfectly." she closed her eyes again and began to chant. Sean and I shot each other a look.

Get ready Luigi.

Back at you, Waluigi.

Cute.

Get it cause you're pur-

Just Shut up and get your shit ready.

Anjali's POV:

It would have gone smoother if I had enticed them to trust me. Then again, I wasn't the best- what do call it? People person. Besides, it was already too late; I had the Ness' allegiance and power behind my plan now, whether they knew my true intentions or not. It was easy enough to school my mind and emotions to get past their trials. As for the rest... what choice did they have? None of them knew the workings of the arcane magic required for such a task, and were desperate to have their friend back. They had no other option but to trust me and, thanks to the Ness, none of the power they needed to stop me.

I felt my conscience protest a bit before I tamped it down, a task that became easier with each passing day. This was for the greater good, I reminded myself. And my sisters certainly had no qualms in abandoning me; if they didn't treat me like a Druid, why should I act like one? No, my status as a benevolent paranormal was long gone. There was only my revenge now.

I closed my eyes to the others, taking the Demon's bold threat in stride as I lifted my hands into position. I let the power flow through my veins, felt the magic fill me as I began to chant. It was an old language, one that was as ancient and powerful as I. They had no way of knowing the true meaning of my words.

I heard and ignored the whispered exclamations of the others as the Ness joined in my chanting psychically, projecting their own lilting language for all to hear. I knew if I opened my eyes and turned towards the water, I would see a green variation of my own circle hovering above the water, lending its power to me.

I felt Jericho's presence protest weakly within me. It was no matter; She had been getting stronger, yes, but it would have taken at least a month to best me.

It was too late.


	122. 124

Jericho's POV:

Atticus looked skeptical at my confident proclamation, but he nodded anyway. I wondered how he got dragged into this mess. He was so young.

I was about to open my mouth to ask when I was suddenly assaulted by a sharp pulse of pain shooting through my entire body.

I crumbled to my knees with a grunt, clutching at my head. Atticus and Sans were immediately down at my side.

"Jericho! Jay, you okay?" Asked Sans worridly. I looked up and tried to smile and nod, but cringed at the emergence of another, more powerful wave of pure agony. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. Atticus gasped loudly as Sans shooed away the other residents.

"Jericho... your hands."

I looked down at my hands, squinting through the stinging tears in my eyes to see what he was talking about. My breath caught in my throat.

Starting at my wrists, my hands were transparent. The farther down I looked, the more faded my skin was; The tips of my fingers were completely gone, and the fuzzy line between something and nothing was creeping upward slowly, about a centimeter every five seconds. It was slow, but if this continued...

"Sans, what's- GAH!" My question was cut short as I hunched over against another shock. Sans laid a hand on my back.

"Oh Jay... I'm sorry, buddy," he said sadly, sounding for the first time like he was going to cry. I guess he did care about some things.

"What's going on? Why is she like that?! Do something!!" Yelled Atticus frantically, frightened tears streaming down his face.

"I... I can't. Unless you know how, nothing can stop this. Whatever was holding her her wants her gone... permanently," he said, his voice grave. I squeezed my eyes shut at the ultimatum; I would die here. I would never see Dark again.

All is not lost, young ones.

Atticus shot to his feet at the soft voice. Sans startled a bit, but stayed my my side as I lay on the ground, unable to move. My fingers had disappeared all the way to my knuckles.

"You! You're that creature, that Ness from all the visions!" Atticus exclaimed, ignoring the weird looks from the other bar goers, "Help us, please!" He begged. I didn't even have the strength to ask what he was talking about.

Yes, young medium. I cannot express my sorrow at the trials we put you through at so young an age. I cannot help your friend; you must bear the brunt of this task. I can only guide you.

"Then guide me! I'll do whatever it takes, tell me what to do!" He shouted. My heart melted at his fervence; he barely knew me, and this boy was already willing to give it all up for me. I tried to tell him not to be so hasty, but found that I couldn't speak. My voice was gone. The exchange continued without me.

Hold tightly to her now, and do not let go, the voice instructed serenely. Atticus immediately shot to my side and hugged me securely for all he was worth. I flinched weakly at the way my nerve endings flared at the contact, but I didn't pull away.

Now, brave Atticus Solomon: think of our loch. Picture the shore you stood upon with Antioch as clearly as you can; smell the water, hear the waves and see the sunlight glimmer on them, Feel the breeze. Go there now, Atticus. In your mind.

I watched as Atticus squeezed his eyes shut tight, scrunching his nose and grinding his teeth in a grimace of concentration that would have been cute in other circumstances. The pain began to fade, replaced by a tingle that was somewhere between uncomfortable and pleasant. I looked up at my skeletal companion, who still had his hand on my shoulder.

Thank you, I mouthed as tears of both gratitude and sorrow filled my eyes. He just grinned his impossible, toothy grin at me.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Jay! You can handle anything they're gonna throw atcha. Cause unlike us skeletons..." he leaned in a bit and gave me a conspiratorial wink, "you've got guts."

I smiled.

And we were gone.

Third person POV:

Just this once, just for one split second, Sans got a smile instead of an eye roll or a groan. Or both.

The skeleton slowly stood, staring at the place where his human friend had been for just a moment longer. He walked slowly towards the door at the front of the now silent bar.

"Put it on my tab, randish!" He called, waving lazily over his shoulder as he headed out.

"Yeah, uh... sure thing, bud," the barkeep mumbled awkwardly, busying himself by slowly cleaning a glass that was already polished.

Sans stepped out into the silent street, hands in his coat pockets, grinning his impossible grin.

Nobody saw the single impossible tear trailing down his face.

Don't forget to vote doods!


	123. 125

Anti's POV:

I paced back and forth restlessly, going from the chair, to leaning on the wall, to the windowsill... I even flew across the room a couple times.

I was going stir crazy. Whatever it was that was railing this kid for the past five hours had reached it's peak; he was seizing violently, mumbling and grunting and staring off into space with wide, vacant eyes. I had to line the inside of the door with Alder root just because of the noise. I couldn't just leave him there, either; if some human walked in, there's no telling what they would do with him.

Well, they would probably take him back to the hospital, but I didn't want to have to kill any more people; If I had to eat an entire ambulance crew and possibly a team of doctors, it would draw way too much media attention. It did sound fun though.

I jumped about a foot in the air when the kid let out a deafening, high pitched scream. I hissed and whirled around, fangs bared in annoyance. And... what the actual blue hell?

He was sitting up ramrod straight and completely still, looking like a possessed child out of a shitty horror flick. But I would give kudos to any director who managed to put special effects of this level on the silver screen.

His eyes were completely white, the kind of white that oxy-clean was jealous of. They were shining like little mini suns, painfully bright and blindingly intense. All around him was what appeared to be translucent fire; it only had the barest wisps of silver and white, but the blaze was no less powerful. I realized with amazement that the ceiling high flames that didn't burn whatever they touched were his aura. It was so powerful it scared even me. Jesus fucking christ...

"What are you?" I whispered.

Sean's POV:

Alright. We were exactly three minutes into Anjali's ritual; it was now or never. I mentally brushed Virgil's mind with my own- a task that was getting easier and easier as my newly acquired third eye set in- and shot him a meaningful look out of the corner of my eye. I slid my hand slowly towards the pocket of my greatcoat.

Let's go.

In the next second, I saw Virgil, who was still standing slightly away from the group, put his hands behind his back. I knew without looking that he was doing an upside down version of Anjali's own technique, scewing the proper form in favor of hiding it. It was actually very impressive that he could keep his power stable like that.

I felt a sudden drain as the year I'd sacrificed off of my own life was taken and used in his spell. I fought not to groan, slamming down what I hoped was a sturdy psychic wall around my thoughts so no one would sense that something was wrong. These new powers were a toss up though, so all I could do was pray.

Once it stopped draining a minute later, I mentally shook myself off and proceeded to prepare phase two.

Virgil's POV:

I discretely put my hands together behind my back and closed my eyes, muttering the counter reversal spell under my breath, not even making any noise. I had to be very careful because of the positioning of my hands, but I wasn't too worried; I was me after all.

After I began, I began draining the promised year off of Sean's life to fuel the spell. Magic like this required a live sacrifice, and a year was all I was willing to risk. Anything else would be way too difficult to control, even for a magnificent specimen such as myself.

As much as I regretted chopping Luigi's life short, I admired him for doing it. He didn't know if he would live to be thirty or eighty, yet he gave his time away without a thought. I had the feeling he would've done the same if the price was five or ten years. Not that he would ever hear any of this from me, but I would quietly applaud him nonetheless.

Now, I would have given my own time to either lessen his payment or replace it, but there were three problems with that; A, no mixing sacrifices in the same spell. B, no self sacrifices. And the most important one:

Nothing, and I mean nothing is more valuable to a Djinn than a sacrifice from a human, Especially a sacrifice of time.

Human lives are shorter, but sweeter. Maybe they're sweeter because they're shorter. They cherish themselves and each other, and are loved and doted over by however many friends and family members they have. So the value of their time goes way above most paranormals who only care about themselves. If I were to make a rough estimate, I would say that I would have to give a little over a century to get the same amount of power I gleaned from Sean.

One year of his was more meaningful than a hundred of mine.

But luckily, it wasn't my scheduled brooding time, so I didn't give a shit. Once I stopped the drain, I sent him a mental nod to proceed with his end. Sean had snagged a couple odds and ends out of the witch's magic bag of bullshit the night before to make a couple pretty effective... distractions. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he made up for his lack of third eye talent not only with his experience in projectile weaponry, but with an extensive knowledge of herbal magic. It had never been my scene, so I only knew a couple of the herbs he nabbed;

Basil for excorsism, parsley for purification, and both dried dandelion leaf and dried dandelion root for summoning and banishment respectively. And that was just some of them; I didn't even recognize the foreign looking ones. Now, I may not have had much experience in the magician's kitchen, but I was pretty damn sure that putting summoning and banishment in the same spell instead of different ones took some skill. As in down-to-the-last-milligram accuracy. Watching him craft his masterpiece was like watching Van Gogh paint.

How he got past the witch was well beyond me, but I was glad he did. The finished product he was slowly pulling out of his greatcoat pocket was going to be atomic. I grinned at the thought. I was gonna be so happy to cure Jericho's body of its chronic resting bitch face.

Wiishu's POV:

How those boys thought they got past me, I'll never know.

Of course all of us were prepared to attack if necessary, and we all knew it. But if Sean and Virgil knew something that we didn't that could save Jericho? Then of course I'd pretend to be asleep while Sean stole my herbs.

I just hoped they knew what they were doing.


	124. 126

Mikhail's POV;

We weren't stupid.

All of us knew the risk that letting Anjali have control over this operation posed, and every single one of us was more than ready to intervene if need be. However, the Ness were known to be kind, fair, and just creatures before their widely believed extinction. They were the perfect judges, and infinitely wise.

What purpose would they have in lying to us?

And yet we each kept our weapons at the ready. All I had ever seen from Anjali outside of history books was deception. Who was to say that she wasn't clever enough to fool creatures as old as she? That she hadn't played us for fools?

I gripped my hilted daggers tighter at my side, a bead of slick sweat making its way down my temple as I narrowed my eyes at the ancient Druid. No, I wouldn't let it get that far, and neither would her Demon.

I cast a quick glance towards the creature in question who, like me, was staring intently at Anjali. He looked as if he were on the verge of growling, his eyes alight with a threat she was unaware of as she continued to chant.

Something odd caught my eye as it panned back to Anjali. The Djinn, Virgil. What was he doing?

Suddenly, Anjali's chanting stopped short. It looked and sounded as if she had choked on her words, her head and upper body jerking slightly. We looked on in confusion as her hands shook as she began to chant anew, continuing where she had left off. The group collectively tensed when she wrenched her hands apart with a cry as if she'd been burned, her words choked off once more. I drew my daggers as she whirled towards us, her enraged eyes scanning our faces closely. None of us spoke for both confusion and apprehension.

"You... where are you?" She murmured as she turned in a tense circle. looking for the disruption. It suddenly occurred to me that I may have had a pretty good idea as to the answer to her question. She whipped around to face Virgil at the same time I did, flinging an arm out towards him, her teeth bared in a grimace of rage that didn't fit Jericho's face.

"You!!" She screamed, her voice distorting as her eyes flashed white, "It is you!!"

The Djinn leapt away without so much as an acknowledgement that she had spoken, dodging the bolts of pure energy that were flung at his head and continuing his chant, louder this time, whilst keeping his eyes firmly closed. Before any of us could react, a neon green ritual circle with flamboyant splashes of bright purple in the arcane scrawl appeared, overlapping Anjali's own pure white one. She stopped attacking for a moment and looked on with the rest of us at the shocking and outlandishly colored transformation before her face twisted Into a vicious snarl, her rage returning tenfold as she turned back to the still chanting Virgil. All of us drew our weapons, though we had no idea what was going on. Felix and Marzia moved in front of Virgil, blocking him from Anjali.

"Hey body snatcher!"

And here came our second surprise of the evening.

Standing at the edge of the circle with a single crossbow aimed at Anjali was none other than Sean McLaughlin. I nearly smiled. Of course that little thorn in my side would know something I didn't.

"Eat this."

His weapon made a loud popping sound as an arrow was loosed, accompanied by a couple gasps and nos. Not from Dark, Wiishu, and I; it was plain enough for us to see that the arrows of his bows had mini hex bags tied to the ends instead of arrowheads. I made a mental note to myself to commend him later for taking care not to harm Jericho's body.

Anjali wasn't as observant as us, her hubris preventing her from sparing the arrow a second glance. She simply caught the projectile in her hand, her hand wrapping around the shaft at the last second before it hit her neck. She raised her eyebrow at Sean.

"Is this really what you had planned, Hunter? Did you really think an arrow could get past my defenses?" She asked, her tone dripping with both extreme annoyance and condescension. Sean smirked wickedly to the point of almost looking like Anti.

"Of course not."

Her eyes darkened and she began to take a step towards him. Her foot didn't even touch the ground before the unnoticed hex bag in her hand burst in a spray of brown and green dust. She coughed, dropping the arrow as she inadvertently breathed it in. Dark and I were at her side immediately as she fell to the ground, Dark with his sword at her throat and I to confiscate her Caduceus. I realised with surprise that she was paralyzed. I heard Sean telling the others to back up and not to interfere. Anjali finished her fit, eyes watering as she glared up at us angrily.

"What is the meaning of this?! Do you not want your friend to return?!" She hissed. "I am the only one alongside the Ness with the arcane knowledge required for this task!"

"Yeah, but you weren't gonna use it, were ya?" Sean asked, finally walking back over to look down on her smugly. Her scowl deepened.

"I do not know of what you speak, boy," she growled, "and neither do you."

"What do you know, Sean?" Dark asked, his eyes never leaving Anjali.

"Long story. We can do that later. The bottom line is that she," he pointed to Anjali, "wanted Jericho's body for herself."

Dark and I cursed bitterly, glaring at the fuming Druid as he continued, though I cursed my stupidity just as much as I did the perpetrator, "And luckily for us, Anjali, you actually aren't the only one around here with the know-how," He told her smugly. All of our eyebrows rose at that.

"And who taught Virgil this new trick, pray tell?" I asked, glancing over at the neon circle that was now pulsing rhythmically like a heart, synchronizing tempos with the sister circle above the water.

"Anti."

There was a shocked silence from all present before Anjali smirked and began to chuckle, sending chills down my spine.

"Ah... that explains why the magic is so weak," she hissed with a dark smile. A loud groan made us look up just in time to see Virgil fall to his knees, the new position making him look as if he was praying as he kept his hands folded before him and continued chanting. His face was contorted in pain, beads of sweat rolling down his pale face. Anjali laughed mirthlessly as Amy and Mark went to tend to him. I looked on helplessly, knowing full well that there was nothing they could do.

Once a Djinn began a task of a magical nature, they had to continue until it was finished. If the sacrifice wasn't enough...

They were done for.


	125. 127

Virgil's POV:

"አውጣ ጥሩ አውጣ የመጀመሪያ የመጀመሪያ

Jericho, በኪልቅያእኔ. እኔ Jericho. የመጀመሪያ..." Ah! "የመጀመሪያ..."

I just barely managed to keep my shit together as a wave of pain wracked my body and practically threw me to my knees. I gathered myself up and continued to chant for all I was worth.

Failure wasn't an option for a Djinn; you fail, you die, and if you weren't careful enough about the size of the sacrifice? Tough shit.

That was actually part of the reason I was even with these people, but none of that would matter if I met the same fate as... her.

I felt another mind brush with mine, a feeling of amusement and mocking bereavement rolling off of the newcomer. No. No, that was Anjali! Her magic was supposed to be quelled by Sean's hex!how was she doing this?! She wasn't even speaking!

I'm not gonna lie; I was panicking. I was most likely done for and I knew it. I almost felt like laughing just as much as crying as everything began to go dark.

Heh. Looks like it runs in the family...


	126. 128

Jericho's POV:

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I felt as if we were flying, like we were falling, exhilerating and terrifying. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

For the first time in an eternity, I felt like I was whole, as if parts of me I'd forgotten were missing were coming back to me, piece by piece. The memories I recovered seemed to solidify and become more vivid, emotions like love and fear becoming sharper and intensifying.

I. Was. Back. And it felt amazing.

I opened my eyes as the motion stopped. Everything around us was just...light. Just a bright, beautiful, sky blue light. I looked down at Atticus, who still had his eyes squeezed shut as he held onto me tightly. I poked his head.

"Hey. Atticus. Are we supposed to be stopped here?" As gorgeous as it was, and as beautiful as it felt, we couldn't stay. Dark needed me.

Atticus cracked open one eye, and then the other before widening them in awe at our surroundings.

"Wow..." he whispered. I poked him again, this time on the nose. He wrinkled it and blinked back up at me.

"Don't look at me, I've never done this before," he shrugged, "do you think it's okay to let you go?"

I thought about it before nodding. "Probably."

He slowly loosened his grip until his arms weren't touching me at all. When I didn't disappear or float off, he dropped them by his side and looked down.

"What are we standing on? There's nothing there!" He said as he tapped his foot against the nonexistent surface. I laughed a little at how adorable he looked. He returned his eyes to mine at the noise.

"No, but seriously... I don't know what's going on," he said, looking nervous, "I don't know what I did wrong..." he looked about ready to cry. I put a hand on his shoulder, about to reassure him, when-

"Aw, how cute. Did you make a little friend, Jericho?"

I froze fast, my blood turning to solid ice. I grabbed Atticus and clutched him to me, covering him as best I could.

"J-jericho? What-"

I shushed him quickly, my apprehensive eyes scanning the sunless, cloudless sky we stood on.

"Tsk-tsk... That's no way to treat an old friend, Jay-bird. aren't you happy to see me? It's been so long..." the voice said, devolving into a wicked chuckle. I steeled myself, ready to do whatever was required to protect this boy.

I wouldn't let Fell get to Atticus.

"Don't make promises you can't keep... Jericho."

His abrasive hiss of a voice transitioned from inside my head to a whisper right behind my ear. I let Atticus go and spun, aiming my right fist towards Fell's face. He caught it, of course, making me cry out as he squeezed my fist mercilessly. I froze in my attempts to free myself upon realizing how close he was. His wicked golden eyes, alight with malicious amusement, bore into my own with a hunger that made me shudder. I glared at him viciously as my attempts continued, wrenching my entire body away to try to free myself. I had to stop when he yanked my hand towards him so that it was directly in my view, squeezing it so hard I heard the joints crack and protest.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to me, Fell," I snarled, panting from the pain, "and Anjali!"

"Oh am I now?" He chuckled, "and who will exact that debt, hm? I've already-"

"LET HER GO!!" Interrupted Atticus, apparently having recovered from his shock. He ran at Fell, ramming into him with his shoulder with everything he had. Fell didn't budge; His only reaction was to flick his eyes from me to Atticus.

"Atticus, no! Just stay out of this," I pleaded as Atticus tried once again to free me. He stopped at my voice, as if just then realizing how futile his valiant efforts were. He slowly backed away as I looked on fearfully, visibly shaken by Fell's serpentine gaze.

"Hmm. Your little friend has some fight in him," said Fell with a smirk as he watched the last vestiges of Atticus' courage fade away.

"Fell! Please, leave him out of this! This is between you and me, he's just a kid!" I begged, my gut clenching with dread at the look in Fell's eyes. I could tell he hadn't listened when he dropped my hand, his full attention on the cowering boy in front of him. Oh God no...

Suddenly, Fell's eyes flashed a blindingly bright gold as his aura became visible, flaring powerfully with a palpable wave of energy. Atticus screamed and covered his face, stumbling backwards as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Fell extended a single hand, his shadows shooting outwards towards Atticus. They struck his chest, sending him flying around fifteen feet backwards with a cry. He landed hard, sliding a couple more feet before he came to a halt.

I grabbed Fell's arm, pulling him back with all my might as he began to approach Atticus, a predatory look in his eyes.

"Fell-"

He grabbed one of my wrists without looking at me and squeezed. There were four audible snaps before he let go, throwing me to the nonexistent ground. My scream was cut short when my head cracked against the surface, the impact splintering my vision. I was assaulted by a strong wave of nausea that left me unable to move. I watched helplessly as Fell's blurry form approached my new friend.

Atticus...

Anti's POV:

He went limp in a dead faint, the light going out in his eyes. He lay there twitching for a couple minutes. I figured it had been long enough, so I filled another syringe and gave him another dose while he was calm. His eyes slid closed as his twitching lessened. I sighed in relief, praying that he stayed that way for at least awhile.

Well, either there wasn't a God at all, or he hated me, because His fit started up again a half hour later. It wasn't as violent, but I could tell he was terrified; his eyes were moving rapidly behind his lids and he was tossing and turning and sweating like he was in the middle of a particularly traumatic nightmare. I sighed and went back to the chair, freezing halfway there when I heard him mumble feverishly.

"Fell..."

Oh fuck.


	127. 129

Jericho's POV:

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I felt as if we were flying, like we were falling, exhilerating and terrifying. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

For the first time in an eternity, I felt like I was whole, as if parts of me I'd forgotten were missing were coming back to me, piece by piece. The memories I recovered seemed to solidify and become more vivid, emotions like love and fear becoming sharper and intensifying.

I. Was. Back. And it felt amazing.

I opened my eyes as the motion stopped. Everything around us was just...light. Just a bright, beautiful, sky blue light. I looked down at Atticus, who still had his eyes squeezed shut as he held onto me tightly. I poked his head.

"Hey. Atticus. Are we supposed to be stopped here?" As gorgeous as it was, and as beautiful as it felt, we couldn't stay. Dark needed me.

Atticus cracked open one eye, and then the other before widening them in awe at our surroundings.

"Wow..." he whispered. I poked him again, this time on the nose. He wrinkled it and blinked back up at me.

"Don't look at me, I've never done this before," he shrugged, "do you think it's okay to let you go?"

I thought about it before nodding. "Probably."

He slowly loosened his grip until his arms weren't touching me at all. When I didn't disappear or float off, he dropped them by his side and looked down.

"What are we standing on? There's nothing there!" He said as he tapped his foot against the nonexistent surface. I laughed a little at how adorable he looked. He returned his eyes to mine at the noise.

"No, but seriously... I don't know what's going on," he said, looking nervous, "I don't know what I did wrong..." he looked about ready to cry. I put a hand on his shoulder, about to reassure him, when-

"Aw, how cute. Did you make a little friend, Jericho?"

I froze fast, my blood turning to solid ice. I grabbed Atticus and clutched him to me, covering him as best I could.

"J-jericho? What-"

I shushed him quickly, my apprehensive eyes scanning the sunless, cloudless sky we stood on.

"Tsk-tsk... That's no way to treat an old friend, Jay-bird. aren't you happy to see me? It's been so long..." the voice said, devolving into a wicked chuckle. I steeled myself, ready to do whatever was required to protect this boy.

I wouldn't let Fell get to Atticus.

"Don't make promises you can't keep... Jericho."

His abrasive hiss of a voice transitioned from inside my head to a whisper right behind my ear. I let Atticus go and spun, aiming my right fist towards Fell's face. He caught it, of course, making me cry out as he squeezed my fist mercilessly. I froze in my attempts to free myself upon realizing how close he was. His wicked golden eyes, alight with malicious amusement, bore into my own with a hunger that made me shudder. I glared at him viciously as my attempts continued, wrenching my entire body away to try to free myself. I had to stop when he yanked my hand towards him so that it was directly in my view, squeezing it so hard I heard the joints crack and protest.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to me, Fell," I snarled, panting from the pain, "and Anjali!"

"Oh am I now?" He chuckled, "and who will exact that debt, hm? I've already-"

"LET HER GO!!" Interrupted Atticus, apparently having recovered from his shock. He ran at Fell, ramming into him with his shoulder with everything he had. Fell didn't budge; His only reaction was to flick his eyes from me to Atticus.

"Atticus, no! Just stay out of this," I pleaded as Atticus tried once again to free me. He stopped at my voice, as if just then realizing how futile his valiant efforts were. He slowly backed away as I looked on fearfully, visibly shaken by Fell's serpentine gaze.

"Hmm. Your little friend has some fight in him," said Fell with a smirk as he watched the last vestiges of Atticus' courage fade away.

"Fell! Please, leave him out of this! This is between you and me, he's just a kid!" I begged, my gut clenching with dread at the look in Fell's eyes. I could tell he hadn't listened when he dropped my hand, his full attention on the cowering boy in front of him. Oh God no...

Suddenly, Fell's eyes flashed a blindingly bright gold as his aura became visible, flaring powerfully with a palpable wave of energy. Atticus screamed and covered his face, stumbling backwards as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Fell extended a single hand, his shadows shooting outwards towards Atticus. They struck his chest, sending him flying around fifteen feet backwards with a cry. He landed hard, sliding a couple more feet before he came to a halt.

I grabbed Fell's arm, pulling him back with all my might as he began to approach Atticus, a predatory look in his eyes.

"Fell-"

He grabbed one of my wrists without looking at me and squeezed. There were four audible snaps before he let go, throwing me to the nonexistent ground. My scream was cut short when my head cracked against the surface, the impact splintering my vision. I was assaulted by a strong wave of nausea that left me unable to move. I watched helplessly as Fell's blurry form approached my new friend.

Atticus...

Anti's POV:

He went limp in a dead faint, the light going out in his eyes. He lay there twitching for a couple minutes. I figured it had been long enough, so I filled another syringe and gave him another dose while he was calm. His eyes slid closed as his twitching lessened. I sighed in relief, praying that he stayed that way for at least awhile.

Well, either there wasn't a God at all, or he hated me, because His fit started up again a half hour later. It wasn't as violent, but I could tell he was terrified; his eyes were moving rapidly behind his lids and he was tossing and turning and sweating like he was in the middle of a particularly traumatic nightmare. I sighed and went back to the chair, freezing halfway there when I heard him mumble feverishly.

"Fell..."

Oh fuck.


	128. 130

Mark's POV:

"Oh Jesus... Amy, what's going on?!" I asked in a panic. I reached for Virgil's shoulder, but Chica shot in front of me and nudged my hand to the side.

Don't touch him, it's dangerous!

I was taken aback at her impeccable English and the change in the way her mind felt, but I decided now wasn't the time to ask.

I'll explain later, Mark.

"She's right, actually; I don't know how Chica knew, but Djinn can't stop a magical task halfway through. So if you interrupt him, he'll almost definitely die." Amy said gravely. I stepped back.

"So what can we do?" I asked, looking at her looking up at her helplessly. She wordlessly shook her head. My heart sunk.

"Wait! Guys, look at the water!" Felix shouted. He and Marzia had been standing to the side all this time, not knowing how they could help. The blue-green circle on the water darkened and turned into a neon purple that matched the hue of Virgil's magic. A sourceless wind disturbed the otherwise still air.

"This... the Ness are..." Dark breathed as Mikhail shot to his feet, staring in amazement at the water. The three different power sources clashed palpably, sending shockwaves through the air.

"NOOOO!! YOU TRAITORS!!" Anjali screamed in rage, her limbs twitching slightly. Was she paralyzed??

"Wiishu! What's going on?" Amy called out. Wiishu let out a single incredulous laugh, putting a hand to her forehead.

"The Ness were never on Anjali's side at all! They joined Virgil's Counter reversal!" She laughed again. My heart swelled with hope; goodbye body snatcher bitch! Chica yapped and leapt into the air a couple times to second my glee.

And then things went right the hell back downhill. As usual.

A deafening, inhuman scream tore through the air, frighteningly distorted. Dark, Mikhail, Wiishu and Sean were thrown back by at least ten feet each as Anjali shot into the air, glowing so brightly that I could barely see the outline of her form. She looked even more fearsome as the light dimmed.

She was levitating about fifteen feet above the ground, her arms thrown open wide as her hands and forearms brimmed with a pulsing heat and light. The gentle wind rapidly picked up speed, whipping her platinum hair all around her face and tossing dirt and debris into the air, forcing us to squint and hold our arms in front of our faces as a mini twister formed around her. And her face, her body...

That was not Jericho's body.

She was taller and even more elegantly built, with a lithe, athletic physique and longer hair that reached halfway down her back. She would have been just as beautiful as Jericho if it weren't for the nasty grimace of rage that twisted and corrupted her delicate face.

(Credit to heavy crash on deviantart)

This wasn't Jericho at all anymore... this was all Anjali.

"I warned You! I warned you all and yet You closed your ears. You never listen! And now..." I could feel a dangerous buildup of power in the air, just like when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end before lightening struck nearby. The energy that was gathering in her hands and arms wasn't white anymore; it was dark and evil and so, so incredibly deep, like little black holes were forming in her hands. It was nothing like The Demon's shadows... it was so much worse. The five of us that were still standing- Me, Amy, Marzia, Felix, and Chica- automatically assumed battle stances in front of Virgil.

Virgil had calmed down a bit since the Ness began helping, but he had begun to pant and sweat again, rocking back and forth and chanting louder and louder over the roaring wind until he was screaming the words with audible pain in his voice, desperately trying to block everything out to focus on staying alive. All three circles were fighting for dominance, glowing brighter and more unstable as time went on.

"Now... YOU WILL PAY!! JUST AS THEY DID!! YOUR LIVES ARE MINE!!!"

She flung her arms upwards in two mighty arcs above her head, charging her power and preparing for the kill. I knew without a doubt that none of us could survive something like that. The energy was- Wait. Energy! That was it!!

Chica! Right!

Our minds were on the same wavelength, as always. This was a long, long shot... but we had to try. For all of them.

For Amy. For Amy.

That was the only thought on our minds as me and my best friend sprinted past the others and straight for Anjali to meet her attack head on.

"Mark! Wait, NO!!" Screamed Amy, followed by similar exclamations from the rest. I ignored them, reaching for my power.

I love you, Amy. I love you, Chica.

...Good Mark.

I closed my eyes right before the impact.


	129. 131

Atticus' POV:

I groaned and rolled over, shakily getting to my hands and knees. I spit out the blood that was in my mouth, slightly surprised to see it disappear as soon as it hit the surface. In a daze, I once again marveled at the remarkable phenomenon of the invisible floor. I lifted my hand weakly and put it back down. Solid. Incredible...

"Amazing, isn't it?"

I looked up slowly to see him standing over me, surrounded by an evil aura of gilded darkness; the one she called Fell. Suddenly remembering where I was, who he was, and what was happening, I pushed off the ground hurriedly in an effort to stand, but ended up falling down on my rear on the way up when I was overtaken by Vertigo. I sqeezed my eyes shut against the sensation.

"Ugh..." why did I have to be so weak? Fell chuckled and crouched down beside with his elbows resting comfortably on his knees, looking completely at indolent ease. He was much too close, with less than a foot separating us. I tried to look confident, like I had with Antioch. But it was somehow harder to pretend in this Demon's presence. There was something so unnatural, so damaged, so utterly wrong about the fact that he simply existed...

His light wasn't bright like Antioch's, but it was far more powerful. It was almost as if it existed on the opposite end of the spectrum; It greedily devoured all the light that it touched, giving off an intense negative glow that stung my eyes just as much.

Fell cocked his head at me as we stared each other down, my eyes flicking away from his in random intervals when his light acted out and drew my attention.

"What are those little eyes seeing, I wonder...?" He murmured, more to himself than to me as he examined me with unabashed curiosity. I didn't respond. I barely moved, barely breathed, as if he would lose interest if I stayed still. I heard a soft groan of pain from off to the side. Jericho! I turned my head towards the noise and began to scramble to my feet.

Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed the back of my head at the base of my skull in an iron grip, forcing me to keep my eyes on him. I grabbed at his wrist and arm, trying vainly to wrench myself away. The corner of his mouth twitched at my efforts, lifting into a full blown smirk as I glared at him with all the deadly venom I could muster.

"Such fire!" He praised me mockingly, "keep that flame alight in your heart, little boy. You're going to need it."

"'Thou art unfit for any place but hell!" I snarled the Richard III quote, digging my fingers fiercely into the arm Fell was using to hold me. Fell raised an unamused eyebrow.

"Hm. Cute. A man of culture. Let's see what other surprises you have in your head, shall we?"

The world spun in a gilded black blur as Fell tightened his grip on my skull and shoved me down and to the side, slamming my head into the ground with crushing force. I laid there for a moment, unable to even cry out as my entire world went black for what felt like an eternity. When my sight returned, I began kicking and fighting despite the throbbing pain in my skull that returned with it. He once again paid my struggles no mind, continuing to crush my head into the ground. I ground my teeth together in an effort not to scream, a battle that I knew I would lose...

And then he froze, lessening the pressure. I went limp in relief, my breath heavy and heart quick. I could just barely hear his next words over the screaming ring in my ears.

"Hmm... interesting. And impossible," he murmured. Despite my state, I had to ask the question I'd been wondering for so long:

"Do you... do you know what I am?" I whispered shakily. He let my head go fully, allowing me to sit up. I wiped the tears from my eyes roughly, as if punishing them for being there. I met Fell's eyes as steadily as I could as he considered my question. His face was expressionless. no anger, no annoyance, no amusement, no indication that he acknowledged the trauma he'd just caused me. I resented that.

"No. I don't," fell said, his voice clipped as he cocked his head at me, "Do you know how long it's been since I've encountered something I don't know, child? Millennia," he said, making my eyes widen. A grin broke out on his face that sent chills down my spine.

"This will be very entertaining."

I shuddered at his ominous statement as he stood and crossed his arms. He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Well? Go on, run back to your friend," he smirked. He didn't have to tell me twice. I scrambled to my feet and rushed to Jericho's side. Calling her name, I touched her unconscious face.

I jumped back as she gasped loudly, her eyes flying open before shooting to me.

"A-Atticus..." she whispered.

"Once again, you never cease to amaze, young one," Fell chuckled, approaching us once again as I helped her struggle to her feet.

"Go now, . You did nothing wrong; it was I who stopped you. Though I had to do it indirectly due to your..." he paused.

"I will leave you now, child. But know that I will be back for you both soon enough. Prepare yourself," he warned with a smirk. I lowered my head and glared at him as I grappled with the power that brought us here.

"My name is Atticus Antioch Solomon," I growled fiercely, "And your underestimation will be your downfall."

He smiled again as I finally grasped the power within me. His last words as we faded were slightly muffled and warbly:

"I look forward to our next meeting... Atticus."

And we were gone.


	130. 132

Anti's POV:

He went limp again, but this time, his face was peaceful and relaxed. Was it finally over? Or was I in for another five hours?

Maybe I should just kill him and get it over with...

But then his eyes fluttered open, blinking up at the ceiling. I inwardly sighed with relief; normal green eyes. Thank fuck. I sat back back in the armchair and rested my cheek on my hand, not letting my relief show through my scowl.

"Well look who finally decided to wake the fuck up," I said sardonically, "Do you know how much trouble you caused me, you little shit?"

He turned his face towards me before flinching and closing his eyes.

"Light," he groaned simply. Oh. Right. I tamped down on my power.

"Fine," I grumbled, scowling at being forced to accommodate the brat, "What the fuck even happened to you, kid? You went batshit for almost six hours," I demanded. It was about five seconds before he opened his eyes. When he did, his face was flat and dead, devoid of expression. Except for his eyes. Those were what shocked me the most. There wasn't any abnormal color or light within them, that wasn't it; no, it was the emotion that surprised me.

Hate. Fury. It was burning inside of him, raw and intense. His eyes dared anyone to slight him, and promised retribution if they did.

Huh. Looked like he had my eyes now.

"Well?" I asked again, hiding how impressed I was. He turned away again, looking blankly at the ceiling. His response was one I was expecting, but that didn't make hearing it aloud any less disconcerting.

"...The Ness happened. And Jericho.

And Fell."

Jericho's POV:

When I closed my eyes, it was with relief; why Fell let us go, I had no idea, but I wasn't about to argue. When I opened them, there was no snow, no harsh wind, and no strange, exotic creatures. Instead...

It was chaos. A wild, tempestuous wind tore at the green grass, picking up rocks and hunks of dirt and flora from the earth and flinging them through the air at high speed. Five foot high waves were leaping from the enormous lake before me, crashing violently against the abused shore. The two forested mountains that rimmed the lake were shaking with the force of the storm, the rustling and cracking of the tall trees like deafening radio static over the roaring wind. The dark clouds covering the sky mimicked the water, churning and twisting ferociously in a wide circle. And in the epicenter of the storm, a woman levitated high above the ground, facing away from me. She was surrounded by a dark, poisonous energy that felt strangely familiar. Before her with weapons at the ready stood Mark, Amy, Felix, Marzia, Chica, and Virgil, who was on his knees with a horrible grimace of pain on his face, rocking and screaming desperate words I could barely hear over the noise in a language I couldn't understand. None of them paid me any mind; could they see me?

I didn't have the luxury of time to be happy about seeing their faces again. I began sprinting towards them immediately when I saw something that made my heart stop.

Mikhail, Dark, Sean, and Wiishu were passed out on the ground, each of them a little ways away from where the woman floated above. I changed course and ran straight for Dark, praying that he was just passed out and not dead. I was halfway to him when the woman started screaming.

"I warned You! I warned you all and yet You closed your ears. You never listen! And now... NOW YOU WILL PAY!! JUST AS THEY DID!! YOUR LIVES ARE MINE!!!"

Oh no. I recognized that voice. It wasn't just Anjali using my body to speak; it WAS Anjali.

But Dark first, her later. I got to him and slammed to my knees, reaching for his face. I drew back in shock when my hands went straight through him, like I was a hologram. That's when I realized with dismay that I may as well be; I didn't have a body. The wind wasn't even blowing my hair or clothes.

"Wait! Mark, NO!!" I heard Amy scream. I looked over just in time to see Mark and Chica charging headlong into a black mass of energy that extended from Anjali's hands. I screamed in rage and denial and helplessness as they were engulfed by the darkness before it could reach the others.

NO...


	131. 133

Mark's POV:

I closed my eyes right before the impact.

All at once, the breath was stolen from my body, and the light from my eyes. My body was covered in this cold fire that singed my skin from the inside out. I could feel Chica's pain as well as my own as our minds became closer.

I clenched my teeth and reached for my power deep in my mind, searching for a way to connect with this brand new type of energy I'd never experienced. At first, neither of us could manage it; we had to draw out our own life force instead to keep the darkness at bay, a process that was just as painful, but slightly less deadly. No other form of energy was powerful enough to keep her back, I could sense it. I choked back a scream as it began to hurt us, our strength rapidly depleting.

I could feel Anjali's power battling for dominance with ours. I knew she had way more energy than us; even when Chica and I started drawing power from the surrounding plants, it was only a drop of relief in an ocean of pain. We were going to fail, I realized. We were going to fail and our friends...

I flashed back to the Ness' vision, when I'd thought that my friends had died. How that had felt. How it hurt. How it killed me.

No.

Never. NEVER AGAIN!!

I screamed in rightious denial and began pushing back with an incredible burst of strength that I hadn't known was even there. Instead of trying to connect with the darkness, my rage spurred me to fight back, to push with all my might against her power.

It turned out that Dark energy was different than any other kind that I'd touched. If I tried to connect with it, it would kill me, turn around and suck the life and light out of me instead of obeying. I couldn't join it... I had to beat it.

I forced the energy into my hands, using every last iota of my willpower. The painful, icy burning sensation all but disappeared, though it still tingles slightly in my palms. I feel my energy being restored rapidly as the darkness seeped into me, converting itself to positive energy inside me. When the air cleared, Anjali was gawking at us in shock. The wind had slowed to a near stop in her disbelief.

"I-Impossible..." she whispered. She quickly came back to herself, lowering her head to glare at us, "It is no matter. There are other ways I can kill you, human."

At one time, her words might have frightened me. But now, with Chica at my side and both of us at the height of our power, I couldn't feel more confident. I grinned and raised my hands, palms out, towards Anjali.

"Sic 'em, Chica," I quipped. Chica sent me a laugh before opening her mouth and releasing her energy at the same time I did. I had to admit, that looked pretty cool. The energy that shot from her mouth and my hands was a deep red, not black, as if we had somehow taken it in and made it our own.

Anjali dodged first mine and then Chica's rays, looping through the air gracefully. When our attack was spent, she shot towards us as Chica and I braced ourselves. She had almost reach us when-

BANG.

A loud gunshot rang through the air with a concussive crack. A bullet appeared frozen in front of Anjali's face, stopped short just two scant inches. This was followed quickly by two silver blurs from behind and in front of Anjali that she whirled around and caught just before they reached her neck; an arrow. And a knife. She tossed them aside and immediately flew back up into the air to survey the situation.

There below her at varying distances stood Felix, Marzia, and Sean. Sean had a streak of blood running from a cut on his forehead that he must have gotten when Anjali knocked him unconscious. Amy was running over to tend to Dark, Mikhail, and Wiishu, the three oldest and most experienced members of our group. They had picked the absolute worst time to warm the bench, but there was nothing we could do about it now. This time, I gladly snarled right along with Chica as she and I burst into simultaneous flames.

No one but Anjali would be dying here tonight.


	132. 134

Anti's POV:

I sat still and silently dumbstruck at the end of Atticus' story. Then again, I should probably have been used to being rendered speechless by then after everything that had happened that month. After seeing that I wasn't going to say anything, Atticus turned away from me and lay on his side without another word.

I recognized that dead face after the anger faded. It was one that came from trauma, the kind that aged you. But it was also the face of someone who was used to it already. Not scared or even sad; just tired. Dead tired.

Well welcome to the club, kid.

There was suddenly a strong gust of wind outside that was accompanied by a massive wave of negative energy. My head shot towards the window. It was different than other shade weilder's power; I couldn't believe I was thinking this, but it was somehow even worse, even darker. It was almost like it didn't start that way, like a twisted and irreparably corrupted light. It felt like...

Anjali...

"Hey, kid," I said, standing and turning back to face him. He was sitting up on the bed, staring intently at the window like I had been. He didn't even acknowledge that I had spoken.

"Yo! Space cadet! Over here!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face. He blinked and shook his head before looking up at me.

"Stay. Here," I ordered, staring him down to make sure he understood, "I'm gonna put alarm wards around this room; if I feel you set one toe outside that door, it's gonna be hell for you when I get back. Got it, kid?"

He glared at me, but nodded. I snapped my fingers. The edges of the room glowed green for a second; I made sure to make the magic visible so he knew I wasn't kidding. I turned and stalked to the window, cracking it open. I glanced over my shoulder.

"I mean it. And close this when I get out."

With that, I dissolved and shot out the window. I heard it slam behind me a couple seconds later.

Moody little shit.

Mark's POV:

We all stood silent and at the ready, Weapons drawn: Sean with his bow, Felix with his guns, and Marzia with some weird chained scythe things.

I glanced at my friends, glad to have them by my side. We had each other's backs; Anjali had nothing. That already put us at an advantage. And if we lost... we went down together. A macabre but comforting thought.

Anjali chuckled, her voice still distorted.

"Challenging me will be your first and last mistake, humans. Pray and make peace with your Gods!!"

"I'll make you pray to ME!" Marzia snarled, dashing forward. She leapt at least seven feet into the air in the most stunning vertical I had ever seen, launching one of the sickles at Anjali in a silver spinning blur. Anjali simply caught the blade and yanked, sending Marzia flying towards her in an attempt to put her off balance. But the Elite was prepared; she caught the chain and pulled with both hands, taking advantage of Anjali's maneuver and rocketing further into the air. When she realized what was happening, the druid blocked Marzia's second attack easily and quickly raised a hand to strike before Gravity had even kicked in for the Elite.

Just before Anjali made contact, there were two more shots fired from Felix's guns that forced her to use both hands to catch the bullets. Marzia dropped lithely to the ground, leaping backwards to join Felix.

That was just the first ten seconds.

Anjali growled and raised her hand as Sean ran around her in a wide circle and shot and reloaded once, twice, three times. She quickly sent several blasts of dark energy to meet each silver arrow. Felix and Marzia's projectiles were met with the same fate when Anjali spun gracefully and knocked them out of the air, one by one. And our fire, of course, couldn't touch her.

We all retreated slightly, standing below her in a wide circle as she gave us a haughty smirk that suited her face much better than Jericho's. For all of our determination, none of us knew how to proceed. Suddenly, there was a cry of agony from Virgil as he slumped over, falling limply to the ground as his words continued in an inaudible whisper. My heart clenched as the green and purple circle shuddered and began to dim.

"VIRGIL!" Sean screamed, sprinting over to him. He was knocked back by an explosion of black fire right by his feet. We turned back to Anjali, who was grinning wickedly down at us.

"Save your efforts, Irishman. There's nothing you can do for him now," she chuckled as Sean shook with fury, "I would put the dog out of his misery, but this is so much more fun."

Sean screamed in rage and let loose another flurry of arrows, one after the other. She blocked most of them, but the rapid fire caused her to swoop to avoid the last few.

Felix, Marzia, Chica and I began to rush her to help Sean, but she just growled in annoyance and swept her hand upwards. A translucent black veil of darkness shot up from the ground, separating us from our friend. She pointed her hand towards Sean, using her shadows to knock his crossbow out of his hand before wrapping them tightly around his neck. He was yanked into the air, coughing and gagging as we called out to him desperately.

"Sean! Sean, hang in there, we're coming!!" I yelled as Felix, Marzia, Chica and I blasted the wall with everything we had.

It was hopeless. Sean's eyes began to grow heavy and his flailing lessened, until he eventually went completely limp.

"NO!! YOU BITCH!!" Felix screamed as we redoubled our efforts. I snarled wordlessly with Chica as Anjali laughed out loud.

"Yes! Take it, take it all! Feel my pain, my grief, my helplessness! suffer as I suffered!!" She screamed, a look of feral satisfaction on her face.

"Might be jumping the gun on the 'helpless' part."

An indistinct blur of black and green shot up and around Anjali right after the newcomer spoke. She cried out and dropped Sean, her shadows retracting in a rush.

She had two long, thin, needle looking blades protruding from the juncture between her shoulder and her neck. I winced when she ripped them out; there had been about five inches underneath her skin. Veiny lines of sickly green spider webbed out from the pierced skin.

A slender black form appeared in the air beside Anjali, dropping lithely to the ground in a crouch, head down. Bright green and black smoke began to roll ominously off of his figure.

There was a giggle.

And then another, higher pitched and slightly distorted.

The mad laughter continued as the figure slowly straightened, his shoulders shaking with mirth. He raised a hand to to push his hair out of his face as he slowly raised his head, revealing a psychotic grin and insane green eyes.

"Top o'the mornin' to ya, laddies," Anti giggled.


	133. 135

Sean's POV:

A lithe form dropped out of the air right after me, following me to the ground.

"Top o' the mornin' to ya, laddies," said Anti with one of his signature distorted giggles as I stared blearily up at him in disbelief. He looked down at me for a moment before offering me a hand up. I hesitated, but took it. Now was not the time to be bringing up old blood; we needed all the help we could get. If he was offering his assistance, I could swallow my pride for awhile. He smirked as he helped me up.

"Enemy of my enemy and all that," he quipped. I nodded, the irony of the situation causing my mouth to twitch upwards despite myself.

"Right."

Our attention was brought back to Anjali as she threw the giant pins to the ground with a growl.

"You would dare to-"

"Yeah," Anti interrupted flippantly, turning to her with a hundred watt shit-eating grin, "I triple dog dare ya. What- you too chicken?"

Anjali froze, her expression going blank as if she didn't quite comprehend Anti's glib words at first. Then her face began to grow darker and darker as the slightly childish insult sunk in. She extended her hand above her head and summoned a bladed Caduceus which she then leveled at Anti and I below her. By this time the hideous scourge of dark veins had crawled their way up the side of her face to her cheek like a macabre Picasso.

"You will soon regret your impertinence, Demon."

Anti raised his eyebrows as if he was genuinely surprised.

"What? Me? I'm a perfect gentleman! Especially to elderly old ladies like yourse-"

He suddenly stopped and whipped a green sword out of thin air to block Anjali's Caduceus as she rocketed down to meet him. They grinned at each other over their locked blades, their faces mere inches apart from one another as the metals clashed and shrieked. Anjali leaned in closed and looked straight into his eyes, cocking her head. Anti's eyes widened and then narrowed, his face twisting Into a snarl as he broke the lock and thrust her back to land gracefully on her feet twenty meters away.

I decided to ask about the weird exchange later. I ran over to where Mark and the others were still behind the black wall. I noted with dismay that Dark, Wiishu, and Mikhail were separated from us as well, so even if they woke up, they wouldn't be able to help.

"Mark! Mark, are you guys okay, did she do anything else?" I asked worridly, putting my hands on the wall. Mark let out an incredulous laugh.

"Really? You almost died and you're worrying about us? We're fine, you're the one trapped over there with that," he said darkly as he motioned over to where Anjali and Anti were locked in combat. Chica pawed the wall and whined, the distressed sound echoing in both my mind and ears.

"Yeah, don't you ever fucking worry us like that again, got it?" Felix snapped before turning to Mark, "And they're the ones trapped with him, not the other way around. Give 'em hell, buddy," He said with a grin, even though I could tell he was nervous. I nodded, putting a fist against the wall.

"Whatever happens... I love you guys," I said vehemently. Mark shot me a death glare and slammed his own fist against where my hand was on the other side.

"Don't. You. Dare. You can tell us that when all this is over," he growled fiercely before backing away from the wall.

"I never thought I'd be saying this, but go help Anti. We'll find a way to wake up the others; they'll know how to get through," he called over his shoulder as he began jogging towards the three unconscious members of the group. Felix and I exchanged a grim nod before he followed.

I drew the sword that Wiishu gave me and turned to the blur of black, white, and green that I was about to jump into.

Now where was my crossbow...?

Anti's POV:

"What? Me? I'm a perfect gentleman! Especially to elderly old ladies like yourse-"

I snapped my mouth shut and summoned my sword as she shot towards me without warning. The impact was as enormous as I expected, a combination of magic and pure brute force that sent a shockwave through my sword.

I returned her grin of savage anticipation. There would be blood, and a lot of it. Whether it was mine, hers, or both... either way, a good time was guaranteed. She leaned in close and cocked her head, brushing her mind against mine in a benign invasion that confused me.

'And to think that two thousand years of devoted allegiance would amount to nothing... tragic, really." She snickered in her head. My smile dropped and turned into a glare. I put my other hand on the flat of my blade and shoved, breaking the blade lock and throwing her back.

'And what would you know about it, body snatcher bitch?' I snarked, trying to hide my anger behind sarcasm. She pouted mockingly, puffing her bottom lip out.

"Aw... did I touch a nerve?" She asked me in false sympathy. Then she smirked.

"Don't you want to know the truth? Not about the real connection between Fell and I, no..."

Her next words made me freeze.

"...Are you not curious as to the REAL reason that Fell sought you out that day in Pompeii?"

What? What was she talking about? I attempted to reason with myself that she was probably just messing with me. But another part of me, a bigger part, said that there was a whole other can of worms that I needed to open. But either way, now was definitely not the time.

"You can color me curious," I called out as we began to circle each other, "but there are other ways to find out. Right now..." I morphed my sword into an emerald mace, one of my favorites. I leveled the spiked head at her, dropping the facade of emotion from my face.

"Let's dance."

The next minute was just as fun as I thought it would be, and more. Just fighting someone of her caliber was great enough, but getting a rise out of her was even better.

"Parry, thrust, slash, slash, feint, slash, thrust," I narrated her every move out loud as we fought, just to keep my voice going. Not only did nagging my opponent help me concentrate and make the battle more fun for me, it also threw my foe off balance. It never failed.

"Shut UP, you imbecile!" Anjali screamed in frustration as she whirled and brought her Caduceus down towards my neck. I changed my weapon into a shield and thrust sideways as she haphazardly swung, growing rash under my goading. I used the opening I made to slip another spike into her neck, making her hiss. She swung at me one handed as she yanked it out with a wince, throwing it to the ground and once again applying pressure to the point of contact. I dissolved and shot backwards, giving her a wide berth of thirty feet or so. The poison had already begun to visibly spread. The other dose had already crawled across her chest, halfway down her arm, and al the way to the top of her head, covering the entire left side of her face with murky green veins.

She'd be feeling it any second now.

She glared at me, raising a hand and hovering it in the air before stopping and examining it in confusion.

Almost there...

She suddenly grunted and stumbled back, dropping her weapon and clutching her head.

There we go.

"Ugh... this... This was you, you bastard!!" She screamed as she squinted at me through the pain. She reached into her robe and drew out a knife- an Elite's knife. She must have taken it from that girl. She sent the knife spinning through the air with dead eye accuracy. I raised my shield-

And it turned out there was no need. A silver blur interrupted the knife's trajectory with a sharp metallic ping, sending both objects flying through the air. I looked at the long silver object rolling towards me on the ground. An arrow.

Sean's POV:

I lowered my weapon as Anti whistled lowly.

"That's some pretty sick bow work there, Katniss," he said as I made my way to his side. I shot him a smug look.

"Jealous?"

"Not on your life," he scoffed.

We both turned as Anjali groaned in pain, falling to her knees.

"What did you do, Demon?!" She demanded, pressing her hand to the epicenter of the murkily green webbed veins.

Anti smirked darkly at Anjali, his eyes flashing. I never thought I'd be glad to see that damned ghastly grin on his face. That look usually meant he had a trump card somewhere on the table.

"Oh, you haven't figured it out yet? I guess it's true what they say about blondes, huh?" He snickered. Anjali snarled and raised her hand as if she were going to throw a ball. But she didn't; in fact, nothing at all happened, making her growl in frustration. I raised my brow at Anti in question. He smugly did the same.

"You're not the only herbal savant around here, jolly green. It's one of my many specialties; poison magic suppressant. Never fails. One time I nicked Fell on accident and he couldn't use his shadows for five minutes," Anti said proudly. Considering how powerful Fell was, I decided that must have been pretty impressive.

"My magic... my magic! Damn you to hell, Demon!!" Anjali screamed. She looked terrifying; green veins covered her face and chest and arms, pulsing softly. Even her eyes weren't left unaffected. She had dark bags underneath them, and little red bloody veins on the edges. She tried to struggle to her knees, but failed.

"Oooo, getting mighty close to christianity there, Anjali. Besides, it doesn't matter where you damn me to. If you'll look to your right..." he smirked and jabbed a thumb in said direction.

The black wall was beginning to dissolve. It was disentigrating from the top down, wisps of shadow drifting off and evaporating into thin air. It was happening slowly though; I estimated we had at least five minutes before the others could get through. And there was something else, too.

"Virgil!" I yelled, my voice radiating relief. He had relaxed and passed out on his back, his chest moving up and down.

"Get him to safety, Mark," Mikhail said as Amy helped him to his feet, "Hold her off until we can get to you!" He called to me and Anti. Ah, thank God. Someone who knew what they were doing! Dark and Wiishu were still out, though.

"It is no matter; the time it will take for my blockade to dissolve is more than enough to deal with both of you, magic or no!" Anjali screamed. She struggled to her feet, panting and using her Caduceus for support. After a moment, she stood straight like nothing was wrong, only trembling slightly. Anti put a hand on my shoulder.

"She may be weakened, but she's still dangerous. don't underestimate her," He warned as his mace morphed back into a sword. I nodded as I loaded my crossbow.

"Let's do this."


	134. 136

"Why do you weep? Did you think I was immortal?"

-Louis XIV

Sean's POV:

"Let's do this. "

Anti returned my nod with a grin as we turned our attention back to Anjali. She wasn't shaking as much anymore, and if it weren't for the visible effects of the poison, I wouldn't have been able to tell that anthing was amiss. We stared each other down for awhile, none of us moving an inch. After about half a minute, Anjali finally struck, shooting towards us at full speed with a vicious, distorted war cry.

Anti leapt in front of me, meeting her head on.

"Cover me!"

I did as he asked, dashing around to the side to look for an opening. The task turned out to be easier said than done.

The battle was both beautiful and terrifying to watch, so fast paced and brutal that Anti didn't even have the time to mock his opponent. Anti's emerald sword morphed quickly into a shield that he had to brace with both hands as Anjali leapt into the air and brought her Caduceus down on him, putting her entire body into the blow. She used the leverage to flip gracefully over him, pushing off of his shield and landing so that they were back to back. She crouched and narrowly evaded decapitation as he pivoted and swung the sharp edge of his shield at her neck. She whirled low to the ground and swept the butt of her staff towards his shins, making him leap back to avoid it. He ditched his weapon and threw himself backwards into several back hand springs when she straightened and jabbed the speared end of her staff towards his neck, sending metal darts flying in her direction with dead-eye accuracy every time he faced her. She stood her ground, spinning her staff in a blur to knock them out of the air. He flipped one last time, sticking the landing next to me.

"Jesus christ, where'd you learn to fight? Cheerleading?" I asked as I began to shoot arrows at her feet and head in turn, forcing her to stay in place. Anti held out a hand towards his weapon as it dissolved and changed back to its natural sword form, summoning it back to him. He caught its handle with a small grunt before sending me an amused look.

"Yeah. West Europa, class of two hundred B.C." he gave his sword a little shake and it fell apart into a whip-like string of wicked barbs connected by a small, flexible metal spine.

"I'm sure you killed the competition," I said before quickly becoming serious, "Take left, I'll go right."

"Got it."

I stopped shooting and dashed to the Anjali's right in a wide circle as Anti followed my orders without question. We transitioned into long range combat, a luxury Anjali didn't have now that her magic was gone. Anti alternated between his darts and using his barbed whip to nip at her feet and legs, making it hard for her to dodge both while still avoiding my arrows. She began to slow, her movements gradually becoming sloppier and more sluggish as she struggled with the effects of the poison.

Finally, it happened; I landed a hit on the hand holding the Caduceus, shooting clean through her wrist and severing the tendon. She screamed and dropped the staff, hunching over and clutching her useless hand to her chest. Anti took full advantage of the opening, wrapping the whip out and around Anjali's ankles with a flick of his wrist. He yanked it back, throwing her to the ground and dragging her over the fifteen feet that separated them.

She lay there panting as Anti returned her glare dispassionately. I kept my distance, keeping my sights trained on her just in case she tried anything else.

"And once again...if you'll just look to your right..." he said quietly, his flat expression almost as scary as his psychotic cheshire grin. He kept his eyes trained on her as she followed his prompt, watching her expression closely as it went from surprise, to dismay, to righteous rage.

The wall was only nine feet high, and falling even faster than before. Eight feet... seven...six...

Marzia and Mikhail leapt over the wall.

Five... four...

Mark and Felix vaulted over the last few feet.

Three...two...

And finally, Chica made the jump, running over to join Mark. There they stood, the rag tag army, ready to fight and die for the cause. I caught Mark and Felix in a rough embrace as soon as they reached me before turning back to Anjali. This time, I smirked right along with Anti.

"Looks like you're outmatched, sweetheart," my nemisis chuckled as we formed a wide circle around her. The ancient Druid's ghastly face twisted into a nasty sneer.

"You forget, Demon, that this body, in whatever form, is still that of your precious Jericho. You can do nothing while she is under my power!!"

"A-about... ugh... about th-that..." came a weak, wavery voice from the side.

No way.

It was Virgil, struggling up off the ground no more than twenty feet away. He managed to get to one knee, smiling at us through the grimace of pain on his face. I began to run to him, but Anti caught my shoulder, shaking his head expressionlessly.

"Heh... Wh-where is that p-power now... Anjali?" Virgil chuckled weakly. Anjali's eyes widened, her red scleras beginning to leak tears of blood.

"No... you can't! DON'T YOU DARE!!" She screeched, struggling anew.

"I-I can... and I've... n-never backed d-down...ugh ...from a d-dare," Virgil shot back shakily, in true flippant fashion despite his state. He weakly raised a hand and slammed it on the ground with as much force as he could muster. A neon purple circle appeared beneath his hand, only about four feet in diameter.

"He's...is he strong enough for this?" Mark asked shakily. Mikhail shook his head slowly.

"Djinn," Mikhail called out, "if you do this... it will be your last act."

Virgil grinned weakly at us before wincing and sqeezing his eyes shut with a little groan. His nose began to bleed heavily, as did his eyes. He hacked and spit even more of the bright red fluid out of his mouth. He opened his eyes and chuckled.

"Ugh. don't get all weepy on me now, old man. You're gonna make me actually want to die," he smirked. My heart twisted at his tone, sarcastic as always, but with an undertone of resignation. The Djinn tensed again as the circle grew brighter and began to pulse steadily, like a heartbeat. Anjali began to struggle weakly, spouting venomous threats and curses at all of us. She began to give off a slight purple glow as well.

"It's... been a r-ride... guys," Virgil ground out as he squeezed his eyes shut again in agony, beads of blood, sweat, and tears pouring off of his pale face to the ground as he let his head go limp. He put his left hand on top of his right and pressed them into the ground, shaking violently.

He began to dissolve into his trademark purple smoke; only this time, it was dissipating and disappearing with the wind.

"VIRGIL!!" I screamed, taking a running step in his direction. Anti lunged forward and caught me in a headlock with his free arm to hold me back.

"He's dead anyway, you idiot," he said flatly, not budging an inch as I struggled and cursed him, "do you want him to die in vain, or actually do some good?"

I stopped, dropping my hands from his arm as helpless tears filled my eyes. Virgil gave one last bitter laugh.

"S-so long... l-losers..."

And with that, he burst into a million shimmering particles of neon purple smoke.


	135. 137

Jericho's POV:

I watched the battle ignite before me, my heart twisting with worry as Marzia and the practically untried youtubers advanced bravely on Anjali. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I turned back to Dark, leaning over his unconscious form. I had to wake him up; if anyone could help them, it would be him. He'd done things like this before, always using our connection to bypass any problem we came to. Maybe if I just reached...

I lifted one translucent hand and let it slip through his forehead, concentrating with all of my heart, mind, and soul on him and him only. It wasn't that hard a feat, seeing as I'd practically been doing nothing but that for the past couple days I had been in the underground.

It took a second, but I felt a spark between us as well as a slight pull. I closed my eyes and gave in, letting myself drift towards him...

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer wearing the clunky winter flannels I had donned in the bar, but in a gorgeous white dress, the likes of which I had never seen.

Looking around, I was definitely in a place I recognized: The winter city street that I first met Dark on. And if I was here...

I whirled around just as a warm set of arms wrapped around me, crushing me to an equally warm body. Happy tears filled my eyes as I closed them and wrapped my arms around him in turn, holding on for all I was worth and breathing in his comforting scent.

He smelled like roses and fire.

"Please tell me this isn't a fever dream," Dark murmered against my hair, "that would be too cruel, even for my tastes."

I laughed, pressing closer.

"No... no, I'm really here, Dark. With you."

He pulled away slightly to look down at me, cradling my cheek in his warm hand as he searched my face. I did the same, smiling like a fool and drinking in every detail. He sighed and smiled back.

"Oh, how I've missed those eyes. I've been so worried..." he said as his smile faltered. Was that a tear...? As soon as I had the thought, he swiped at his eyes.

"Not. A. Chance," he growled. I burst into laughter, burying my face in his chest. He laughed with me for a bit, then held me tighter as my shoulders shook.

"Shh... you're here, it's alright..." he murmured. What? What was he talking about? It was then that I realized I was crying, my laughter turning to sobs as tears of pure relief poured from my eyes. He pulled back and kissed my forehead once more as he cradled my face with both hands, swiping his thumbs across my cheeks to wipe the tears away. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interupted by a tremor that shot through the city street, shattering every window in the buildings and cars. He shielded my body with his own as the glass rained down on us. The ground continued to rumble as we straightened, ignoring our surroundings and focusing on each other.

Without breaking eye contact, he lifted my hand and kissed it; my skin was glowing with a soft white light. He gave me a gentle smile.

"Go; I'm right behind you."

I nodded, reluctantly closing my eyes. I felt myself drifting away again...


	136. 138

Mark's POV:

I closed my eyes as what was left of Virgil disappeared into the wind. 'Godspeed, you amazing purple emo,' Chica thought, making me smile.

"AHHHHHHHGH!!"

My eyes shot open again at the unearthly scream of agony that was so loud I had to clap my hands over my ears. Anjali was writhing on the ground, still glowing purple from Virgil's magic.

The glow was becoming brighter and more intense by the second, until the light obscured Anjali herself. I threw an arm over my eyes as they began to water from the strain of both the brightness and the heat. I heard gasps and groans from the rest of the group that told me they were experiencing the same thing.

I was on the verge of backing up when it suddenly stopped, the light and heat dissapating as quickly as it came. I tentatively lowered my arm and opened my eyes... and grinned.

There she was, standing straight and tall and proud in the midst of us, a small smile on her familiar face. Her smile; not Anjali's.

Jericho's POV:

The next thing I knew, I was looking up at a pure blue sky. I could feel warm, lush grass beneath me. Ah, I was lying down.

That needed to change.

I reached for my power and made myself float to a standing position, just because I could.

There was wooping and shouting as Sean, Felix, Chica and Mark practically tackled me. I laughed with them as I shoved them off, prompting them to reluctantly step back. When they calmed down, Mikhail stepped forward, standing before me with his hands folded behind his back and a small smile on his face. He opened his mouth, but before he could get out a single word, I leapt forward and threw my arms around him, making him stumble back in shock.

"Hey, Mister Ikard," I laughed as I sqeezed him happily. He paused before chuckling and returning my hug. He pulled back, putting his hands on my shoulders and smiling down at me with something like pride.

"Hello, Jericho."

I was about to tease him for the use of my name when something green and black caught my eye over Mikhail's shoulder. I stepped to the side, my smile fading as my eyes came to rest on Anti, looking down and fiddling with one of the spikes on an emerald green mace I had never seen before. His eyes flicked up as everyone else followed my gaze, as if he could feel us staring. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" He snapped as I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Anti," I said softly. Anti's eyebrows shot up in surprise before a blush crept up his cheeks. He scowled, looking away quickly.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, shoving his free hand in his pocket and kicking the toe of his black converse into the ground. Sean snickered at his embarrassment, earning him a death glare.

My laugh was cut off by a familiar swath of black and silver shadows that circled around my feet and spiralled quickly up and around my body in a gust of cold wind, making me wrinkle my nose and squint my eyes as it passed my face and mussed my hair. I grinned as Dark's arms formed around me from behind, the rest of his body following soon after as he pulled me to him. He hummed in contentment as I turned in his embrace and looked up at him, resting my hands on his chest.

"It's been far too long, love," he said, ignoring Anti's gagging noises. I nodded and sighed happily.

"Mikhail, get over here! Now!" Called Amy. I peeked over Dark's shoulder to see Amy crouched beside an unconcious Wiishu a little more than fifty yards away from the rest of us. Mikhail sprinted over without hesitation, practically slamming to his knees over her body. She didn't look good; her head was turning from side to side, her legs kicking weakly every once in awhile like she was in a fever dream.

"Oh shit. Wiishu!" Exclaimed Sean, running to follow Mikhail. Mark grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

"...Wait. Do you feel that?" He asked quietly. Chica began to growl deep in her chest, her hackles standing on end.

"Yes," said Dark in a grim tone as he let me go, "I feel it, but I don't believe it."

"How is she still alive? Jericho already has her body back!" Anti growled raising his mace before him as he slowly scanned the area. My stomach twisted nervously as I felt it too. This dark energy... it shouldn't be possible.

"Wait. Don't tell me..." Felix whispered as he and Marzia drew their weapons and instinctively went back to back.

"How touching."

We all flinched at the voice that rolled through our heads, distorted and filled with malicious intent. A cloud of pure black smoke, deeper and darker than any Demon's, shot out of the ground at my feet, making me jump back. The black mass flew into the air, soaring away to a safe distance before it stopped, hanging suspended in the air. The smoke dissapated slowly from top to bottom, revealing the impossible. Anjali sneered down at us, her eyes a pure, lightless black.

"What? Are you not glad to see me?"


	137. 139

Mikhail's POV:

"Mikhail, get over here! Now!" Amy yelled. Seeing Signe still passed out on the ground, I sprinted over without a second thought, panic screaming through my veins at the desperate tone of Amy's voice.

When I reached them, I could feel the blood drain from my face at my first sight. It was bad, very bad. Blood flowed from a wound above her hairline, puddling on the ground beside her head. There was a large, jagged rock about half a foot from her skull; she must have struck it when she was thrown back. It was no wonder she had been unconcious for longer than the rest of us.

"No, no no no, not like this, not like this, Signe," I whispered, putting my hands over where Amy's were on Signe's pale, feverish face. Amy didn't even look at me, just kept concentrating on repairing the wound. I mechanically began to do the same, already knowing the most likely outcome; I was never a natural healer, and we no longer had a Djinn to save us at the last minute. I cursed lowly. She didn't deserve this. Signe, of all people, didn't deserve to die like this, from a damned head wound!

"Signe! Signe, wake up, damn you! You'll not be a thorn in my side in death as well as life!" I exclaimed fiercely as my hands glowed a deep burgundy along with Amy's bright, cheerful yellow. Despite our efforts, Signe's breath began to slow steadily as the sounds of battle began behind us. I began weeping in earnest for the first time in thirty years, my body shaking with premature grief.

"Signe... Signe, you asked me if I wanted to be human, didn't you?" I whispered shakily, remembering her words from the day of our betrayal all those years ago. My next words were spoken quickly, with both haste and desperation through my tears.

"I remember, Signe. I remember how you wept that day, how I thought you were weak, how I turned my back on you. I remembered your words that entire thirty years, remembered them when I suggested Jericho have a happy life, remembered them when I fled the Resistance."

I closed my eyes.

"You asked me if I wanted to be human, you insufferable scoundrel?" I asked softly before hanging my head, "Then wake up so I can give you an answer. Because the truth is that you're more human than I'll ever be."

I felt a hand clutch my wrist softly, prompting me to open my eyes. My heart immediately flooded with relief at the sight of Signe staring up at me, bright laughter dancing in her eyes even through the pain.

"That was beautiful, Micky," she croaked. I stood and turned away to hide my blush, making her chuckle weakly and then wince.

"Amy, get her to safety and stay with her. And Signe," I said, looking over my shoulder at her as Amy helped her to her feet, "Thank you."

Not waiting for a reaction, I turned back to the battle. I had felt Anjali's energy a moment ago, but had barely believed it. Now, as I surveyed the pure chaos unfolding before me, it was confirmed; Anjali was back, and with a body of her own. I cursed. This meant two things:

One, the vast majority of Jericho's power was likely gone now that it wasn't combined with Anjali's.

Two, Anjali's energy was no longer restricted by her host. This would make her far more difficult to fight.

I drew my sword and one of my daggers and began to run towards the fray, when I saw something that made me stop in my tracks, my blood running cold. Oh lord above...

Felix...

Marzia's POV:

"What? Are you not happy to see me?" Anjali asked with a nasty sneer. We prepared ourselves, drawing our weapons and assuming our favored positions.

"No, but we'll be happy to see you dead," Felix shot back, a little petulantly. Anjali turned slowly towards him.

"Ah... the Seether. Such incredible power within that young mind."

She paused then, seeming to consider something before grinning. I didn't like the way she was looking at him. She raised a slender hand in front of her face.

"But you hold yourself back, Felix. Why? Just... let... Go."

She snapped her fingers.

Felix flinched violently and dropped his guns. He stumbled back and fell to his knees, digging his fingers into his head.

"U-ugh..."

I quickly crouched down and put my hand on his back as he groaned again, panting. Sean did the same as the others stepped in front of us.

"Felix! What did you do, Druid?!" I yelled, fixing Anjali with a threatening glare. She just laughed and continued to watch. Not more than a second later, Felix shoved Sean away and grabbed my wrist in a painful, crushing grip that made me wince in pain as I felt my bones grinding together. My eyes shot from Anjali to him in shock. His head was still lowered, and he was shuddering violently. A constant growl was lowing in his throat, almost too quiet to hear. I saw Dark put an arm in front of Jericho when she tried to approach.

"F-Felix...?" Mark called to his friend shakily. Chica grabbed the leg of Mark's pants, pulling him back with a whine.

Mark, that's not Felix! Get back!

"What-" I started to ask what she meant when I was cut off by a sudden shock of pain in my shoulder, followed a collective exclaimation from the rest of the group. I screamed and struggled against Felix's grip as he dug his clawed fingers into the crook of my shoulder and neck. I looked into his eyes.

Yellow.

The color was dark, almost gold; he looked so much like the Demon they called Fell that for a moment, I was frozen. He was like an animal, with his teeth bared, back hunched, and face set in a horrible grimace of some anger and hunger and something else that was far beyond both. In that moment, I knew exactly what Anjali had done. Chica was right; this was not our Felix.

This was the Rager.

With a vicious snarl of my own, I yanked my hand free of his, shoving the pain aside as his claws raked over me and sliced through my skin to the bone. I planted my foot on his chest as he turned towards me, kicking him back and jumping to my feet. Once Sean realized what had haplened to his friend, he spun and delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to Felix's head without hesitation, knocking him aside before he could get to me again. Everyone else began to back away as Felix shook his head and struggled to get his bearings. Anjali laughed again.

"And so the beast emerges..."

I ignored her as I drew my bo staff instead of one of my bladed weapons, not wanting to hurt him more than I had to.

"Stand back," I said, keeping my eyes on Felix as I motioned the others away, "Focus on Anjali. I will hold him off."

With out waiting for an answer, I turned and ran away, knowing that he would follow a fleeing object.

That's it. Focus on me, leave them alone.

I heard the sounds of battle break out behind me as we went. After we were far enough away, I stopped abruptly and whirled around just in time to block his sword; he must have drawn it while my back was turned. He raised his weapon once again and brought it down with both hands, making me grunt with the effort it took to block his full bodied attack.

His smile-prone face was twisted and corrupted. not a shred of the man I'd come to think of as one of my only friends remained. There was only a lust for my blood in those ferocious eyes.

Felix...

I heaved my staff and pushed him off, leaping backwards to get my bearings.

I wasn't afforded even a moment of respite as he assailed me with a dizzying flurry of quick and brutal blows that were hard to track for their wild and seemingly random nature. He had no technique, no pattern that I could follow. I had never faced an opponent like this, so vicious and so unpredictable. For the first time in a long time, I was actually frightened, for both our sakes. This was my biggest disadvantage; he wouldn't stop until my blood drenched his blade, while the best I could do was to hold him off.

I had been here before, years ago when I was young. It had been my first, and hardest lesson.

It looks like it will also be my last.

Then it happened. He crouched and swung for my midsection, prompting me to instinctively raise my staff to block him. But once again, he changed direction, pivoting and aiming instead for my neck. I tried to counter, but it was too late; his sword was already between my staff and neck. I closed my eyes...

And opened them wide when I heard a loud metallic clang, right beside my ear. Felix's sword was stopped about half an inch from my neck. I turned my head slightly to look over my shoulder. Mikhail was behind me, holding his sword up vertically with the point down, one of his hands braced on the flat of the blade where Felix's weapon was making contact. Felix jumped back ten feet in a single bound to survey the new threat.

"Like I said, boy," Mikhail said calmly as he stepped around me to stand by my side, "You're forty years too early to challenge me."

Alrighty, just to recap on where everyone is: Amy and Wiishu are out of the battle, mikhail and Marzia are fighting Felix, and Mark and Chica, Dark, Sean, Anti, and Jericho are ganging up on Anjali.

And when I described Felix's full rage mode, I was thinking of Anikin skywalker in that final battle with obi-wan. (Say what you will about the prequels, but nobody can glare like Ani can.)


	138. 140

Jericho's POV:

If anyone told me a month prior that I would be standing by the Loch Ness in front of an evil Druid next to my two favorite youtubers, their dark sides, and a dog, prepared to fight to the death...

Well, what would you have done? If you say it right, it sounds like a joke. A bad one.

After Anjali pulled her little stunt with Felix, Me, Sean, Dark, Anti, Mark, and Chica were the only ones left to fight Anjali. It wasn't five seconds after Felix and Marzia were out of the picture that the scene burst into motion.

"You BITCH!!" Sean yelled, bending to pick up one of Marzia's knives on the ground by his feet. He spun and slung his arm around in a wide arc as he straightened, sending the knife flying towards Anjali. The Druid simply held out a single finger; When the knife reached her fingertip, it stopped completely before abruptly whipping around and shooting right back towards Sean. I reached out to block it, but a thick wave of green shadows swooped in front of Sean before I could, stopping the projectile in its tracks like quicksand. Sean shot Anti a surprised look, to which Anti shrugged.

And with that, they both charged in, Anti dissolving into shadows and soaring towards Anjali through the air while the one man calvary went into rapid fire mode on the ground. They were followed quickly by Mark and Chica, who burst into flames with a yell and an uncharacteristically vicious snarl as they ran in to help. Dark put his hand on my shoulder before I could call on my own power and do the same. He put his hands on either side of my head as I looked up at him in confusion.

"There's something I want to try..." he said softly, looking into my eyes as his began to glow a deep, bloody red.

The world began to spin wildly around us in an indistinguishable blur of light and color, the explosions and sounds of clashing metal fading along with the rest of the world until only we remained. I stared in awe as the light in his eyes swirled and sparkled hypnotically within the blackness surrounding them, lightening and changing into a bright sky blue.

When the world stopped spinning, I felt... warm. Hot even. the heat inside of me began to bloom and grow and fill me until I felt as if I would burst. I felt invincible, just like I had on the night that Dark began to test his theories.

I didn't have to ask; I knew what he had done. This wasn't like Anjali's power that I borrowed that night. This energy was freely and gladly given, mixing with and augmenting my own. For this moment in time... we were bound; finally, truly together.

"I wish this could have hapened in a more romantic setting," Dark murmured, putting his head to mine. I smiled wryly as we broke our embrace.

"That's just not our style, is it?" I quipped, slipping my Caduceus off of my back with a grin. With that, we wordlessly threw ourselves into the fray, Dark exploding into black and Silver shadows that were now tinged with blue.

No more than ten seconds had passed, and the others were holding their own extremely well; Anti and Sean were darting around Anjali in the air and on the ground, shooting arrows, needles, and spearing swaths of emerald shadows with deadly accuracy. Anti was the most daring, swooping in close every couple of seconds to either attack or distract her, obscuring her vision with his smoke.

Mark and Chica, being the least experienced in combat despite their power, did what they could from the outskirts through whatever openings Anti and Sean left them. Considering the practiced speed and skill of the emerald duo, there wasn't very many, but the Evokers didn't miss a single chance.

Chica was the furthest away, watching the entirety of the battle with intense concentration, sending plumes of flame or pure energy out of her eyes and mouth to counter the attacks she knew her friends couldn't dodge. Mark had grown several wicked, thorny vines of impressive size right beneath Anjali that he used to distract her every time she got close to the ground.

As I flash stepped past Chica and Mark to get in closer, I realized with dismay that the battle wasn't going as well as it looked from a distance.

Sean and Anti had both sustained wounds already, sean with a gash across his right thigh, and Anti with what looked like a nasty stab wound on his shoulder. Both of them were hiding it well; if I hadn't seen the blood, I wouldn't have known that they were injured at all. Anjali was rendering all of their attacks ineffective with ease, her expression one of mild annoyance.

"Mark!" I shouted when I had almost reached Anjali, "Gimme a boost!" The giant vines stopped writhing without a verbal confirmation, swooping down towards me. I leapt into the air as they swept underneath me, winding together quickly under my feet. I crouched as they rocketed me up towards the dark Druid, swinging my Caduceus back and charging it to strike.

She was more than ready for me. Anti and Dark's shadows shot out of the way just before we collided, our staffs clashing in an explosion of black and white. Before I could fall back down, there was suddenly a sturdy surface under my feet; a blue force field. There were still arrows passing through it, so it was one way. Impressive. I resolved to thank Mark and Chica later.

Anjali growled as we locked weapons, the errant sparks between us making her black eyes glitter eerily. I didn't share her anger; looking into her snarling face, so full of rage and suppressed pain...

All I could feel was pity.

"Why are you LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!" Anjali screamed, shoving me back and leveling the blade of her Caduceus at me. I dove to the side as a blast of black light boomed past me, just missing my head. I blocked and reflected the next blast, sending it back at her along with some of my own energy. I felt a little beam of pride as she was knocked back several feet, her feet sliding across the force field as she took the brunt of the attack with her staff. She paused to grab two arrows out of thin air, breaking them and tossing them aside with an annoyed hiss. I took the break in our skirmish as an opportunity to speak.

"I'm sorry, Anjali," I said softly, projecting my words psychically as well. She stopped cold at my words, her face going blank before twisting in confusion. The others stopped attacking as well, waiting to see what would happen.

"...what is the meaning of this?" Anjali asked, looking as if she were torn between puzzlement and anger. I met her eyes steadily.

"I said I'm sorry. About everything. What Fell did to you, what you were pushed to do, for all the years you suffered. I'm sorry."

When she was silent, I continued, walking towards her slowly, as if she were a cornered animal.

"But we can help you, Anjali. What's the point of fighting anymore? We can beat Fell together," I said, holding out my hand to her. She looked down at the proffered hand, considering it. For the briefest moment, I saw the darkness around her falter, saw the black pitch in her eyes begin to lighten the slightest bit. I saw the barest glimmer of the woman I had first seen in my dream. Her hand twitched, moving slowly towards mine...

And it was gone. The darkness began to whirl around her again, pulsing like a living heartbeat.

"...And the runes, Jericho?" She asked quietly as she stepped back, "You are still the carrier. Will you use them to free the Druids who betrayed me?" Her eyes darkened once more as I dropped my hand. I resisted the hopeless tears that gathered behind my eyes at her denial.

"Anjali..." I whispered. She laughed bitterly and shook her head as her abyssmal aura grew and swirled faster around her. The wind picked up again, the sky turning overcast and gray. Her laughter abruptly stopped, her face settling into a sudden intense glare that made me take a couple steps back before I could stop myself.

"That's what I thought," she hissed.

And the battle began again, exploding into motion the second Anjali leapt at me. I decided to forgo magic for awhile so that the others would have more openings. The more things she had to pay attention to, the better.

I eventually had to drop back to the ground and join in long range combat as well when it became too dangerous to be near her with all of the projectiles that Sean and Mark were supplying. The second I did is when the battle changed its course in a completely unexpected way.

"You worthless WORMS!!" Anjali thundered, finally snapping and sending a wave of shadow in a circle around her, knocking Sean's arrows out of the sky and sending Dark and Anti hurtling toward the ground in their solid forms.

"Look at all of you, scurrying around me like little mice! It matters not how quickly you run, you cannot-"

"Yeah, maybe," cut in Mark as he helped Dark off the ground, "But you know what's really lightening quick?"

He stepped away from Dark and put both of his hands into a claw formation, holding them out towards Anjali.

"Lightening."

What happened in the next six seconds was one of the most strange and horrifying phenomenons I had ever witnessed.

The air suddenly became dry and brittle, crackling with a palpable, unfamiliar energy. Goosebumps erupted across every inch of my flesh as all the hair on my body stood straight on end. There was a deep, ominous rumble followed by a deafening crack that set the clouds alight as wild flashes of white lightening lanced across the arc of the sky, as brilliant and blinding as the sun itself.

"GET BACK!!" Dark shouted, diving towards me to whisk me out of the way as everyone except Chica followed suit.

Mark screamed as he was struck by the largest lightening bolt I had ever seen, bracing his feet firmly against the ground as he struggled to keep his position. His arms shook with the strain as the lightening remained above him, a wavering pillar of blinding light and deafening thunder that connected him to the sky.

He drew back his hands and flung them in Anjali's direction with a roar that was so loud I could hear it over the thunder. Titanic blue spears of pure power shot out of his hands, reaching their target in the blink of an eye. Anjali didn't even have time to scream before it hit. Her eyes rolled back in her head, jaw clenching and back arching at an insane angle as she was held captive in the air and seized by violent electric spasms for a full five seconds, more than any human would be able to bear.

And then it was over, as abruptly as if someone had flipped a switch. The lightening and thunder disappeared, leaving us with ringing ears and dimmed vision. Anjali fell twenty feet to the ground, stricking the earth with a dull thud. Mark stood panting for a moment before his eyes slid closed and he crumpled to the ground. Chica barked and nudged him, pushing her head into the crook of his neck and whining.

"Mark! Someone do something, please!!" She projected desperately. Forgetting all about the Druid laying on the ground, we all sprinted over to Mark with exclaimations of varying vulgarity, ranging from Sean's 'Damnit!' To Anti's 'Fucking hell!'

I breathed the heaviest sigh of relief in my life when I saw Mark's chest moving up and down as he lay sprawled on the ground, if a little erratically. He didn't look hurt, or even slightly singed; just sweaty and tired.

"He's okay. He's okay, it's fine, we're okay, he's okay..." Chica chanted softly as if to reassure herself as she layed down beside Mark, gazing at him with big, mournful eyes. I bent to wrap my arms around her, ruffling her soft golden fur as she continued to whine.

"Come on sweetie, we've got to get out of here. Up we go," I grunted, lifting her to her feet. Dark lifted Mark up in a cot of shadow, turning to me.

"You know that this won't be over until she is dead. You're the only one who can kill her without yourself being destroyed along with her, and vice versa," he said softly, "Now that you are separated, she won't hesitate to end you in order to destroy the runes."

My heart tightened at his words; I knew he was right. I looked to where Anjali lay prone in the dirt a little ways off, looking for all the world like she was dead. If it weren't for the powerful dark energy that she exuded even in sleep, I would have assumed that she was.

Stomach twisting, I slowly approached her unconcious form. When I reached her, I looked back at all of my friends. All of them were silent, with worry, sympathy, and sorrow on their faces. Would they see me in the same way after this? Would I still be the same after this? I had never directly ended someone else's life; even in the second battle with the Elite, I had only struck down my enemy and let Dark deal the final blow. Summoning my courage, I turned back to look down on her body.

I don't want this...

I dropped my Caduceus and drew my sword.

Don't make me do this...

I raised the blade above my head, thinking of the trapped Druids. I had to do this. I had to.

...I'm sorry, Anjali.

I closed my eyes and brought the sword down.

But the blade didn't make it down past my chest before an icy hand wrapped itself around my wrist, preventing me from going further. A cold arm wrapped itself around my waist, pulling my back flush with a hard, equally frigid body. My eyes shot open. This energy...

"Jericho, I'm simply shocked! This isn't like you at all!" Fell said in a mockingly appalled tone, "although I can't say I'm displeased with the change."

"JERICHO!!" Dark yelled, echoed by Mark, Chica, Sean. I heard a small commotion behind me before my sword was wrenched from my hand and I was whirled around, the cold edge of my own weapon pressed against my throat.

"Now now, there's no need to shout," Fell chuckled as my companions stopped in their tracks.

"What. Do you want," Dark ground out through clenched teeth. I could practically feel the Demon behind me smirk. He traced a line from my shoulder to the top of my neck with his cold tongue, drawing a disgusted shudder from me and a growl from Dark.

"I believe I've made that quite clear," Fell said with an audible smile, "but my immediate goal is to keep my dear bound alive. Allowing our darling little Jericho here to run her through would put a stopper in that goal."

There was a tense half minute pause where the only sound I could hear was Fell's breathing, his chest moving against my back. It twitched as he huffed out a single wry laugh. The sharp metal was removed from my neck as I was suddenly pushed forward roughly, sending me sprawling to the ground. Dark flew over in shadow form and swept me up quickly away from Fell. He clutched me tighter to him as he reformed in a possessive embrace.

I looked back to Fell to see him smirking back at me as Anjali hung limp in his arms. He grinned and gave me a polite nod.

"I look forward to our next meeting, little thing. Until then... enjoy your time with your bound while it lasts."

And with that last chilling statement, he was gone, leaving nothing but a fast fading puff of golden black and the ghost of wicked laughter in his wake.

Dark held me tighter.


	139. 141

Jericho's POV:

The Loch Ness was silent once again, the gentle breeze sweeping the clouds out of the sky bit by bit as the soft chatter of the forested mountains tentatively resumed. Sean, Mark, and Chica wordlessly ran fullspeed in the direction Wiishu and Amy had disappeared too, calling their names. I turned in Dark's arms and let him hold me, cradling my head to his chest. I let his heartbeat calm me down.

"It's not over, is it?" I asked. His chest rose and fell as he sighed deeply.

"It's just beginning, I'm afraid," he said softly. A small grunt made us turn to see Anti hunched over, clutching the stab wound in his shoulder with a grimace and a giggle.

"Ah fuck, that's gonna leave a mark," he chuckled. I broke away from Dark, drawing my wand.

"Here, move your hand," I said with a shooing motion as I approached him. Anti hesitated, narrowing his eyes.

"You ever used one of those things before?" He asked as he eyed the wand suspiciously. I shrugged and reached for his hand, moving it to the side delicately.

"No. But how hard can it be?" I reasoned. He chuckled as I leveled the wand with his wound. He waved his hand over his shoulder and the fabric covering it disappeared.

"How the fuck are you still alive with that attitude?"

"Hold still," I said, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards despite myself. Anti let out a long hiss as the skin began to knit together slowly. When it was over a minute later, Anti rolled his shoulder and cracked his neck. I got a shock when he turned to look back at me.

"What... is wrong with your eyes?" Dark asked before I could as he came to stand behind me. Anti's previously colorful eyes were pure pitch. The only break in the blackness was a single neon green ring in his left eye that was about the size of an actual iris, only much skinnier.

Anti blinked in confusion before his eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting upward. He put a hand over his left eye and turned away slightly.

"Oh, uh... it's... uh..." he panicked, stumbling over his words before he sighed, his face falling in a pout. "These are my real eyes. I made the others up to scare people."

I blinked. I blinked again.

"And if you start laughing, I swear to God..." Anti snapped, jabbing a finger in our direction.

"No promises," Dark said, his chest shaking with restrained laughter. Anti scowled.

"Miss Winters."

My face lit up in a grin as I whirled around to see Mikhail limping over with a small smile on his face. I ran to close the distance, ducking under his arm to help him hobble over. Dark and I helped him lay down with a grunt and a groan befitting a sixty four year old man.

"Nice to see you too, Mister Ikard," I quipped down at him with a grin. He raised an eyebrow.

"Under the circumstances, I'll let that one slide," Mikhail said dryly, "and please don't point that wand at me- if I have to rebreak my ribs because they healed before being set, you'll get more than a bad grade. Besides, Marzia and Felix need you more."

I glanced over to see Feix carrying Marzia bridal style in our direction. Both were absolutely covered in blood. Anti whistled lowly. I sighed, both in relief and resignation.

I had my work cut out for me.

Mark's POV:

"Amy! Amy, where-"

Mark I got their scent!

Chica veered off to the right with a bark, me and Sean following closely behind. Soon enough, we came to a small clearing where Amy was on her knees leaning over Wiishu, chanting in a lilting language I couldn't understand. My heart thumped hard in my chest when she stopped and looked up, her big brown eyes meeting mine. Sean immediately sprinted over to Wiishu, who was smiling up at him sleepily.

Amy's eyes never left mine as she stood up slowly, looking at me like she was about to burst into tears. I opened my arms and grinned as She ran towards me full speed...

Aaaaand punched me in the arm. Hard.

"OW!! Hey, what was that for?!" I yelped, rubbing my bruised arm. She crossed her arms and glared at me, shifting her weight to her hip.

"You could have died, you idiot!!" She shouted, "what were you THINKING?!"

I blinked.

"Uh..."

"And wait- was that lightening you?"

"...welllll..."

She punched me again. Harder.

"Ah! Jesus christ, you punch like a- a, uh, woman," I said, cowering as she raised her fist threateningly, "a very beautiful, very strong woman."

She nodded and lowered her arm. We stared at each other for a second longer before I sheepishly ducked my head away from her glare, shuffling my feet.

"So... uh..."

"Shut up," she said, yanking my head down to hers and pressing her lips to mine. Hard.

My eyes widened in surprise before I practically melted into jello, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her back. After we pulled apart, I grinned like an idiot.

"Wow. You kiss harder than you- OW!"


	140. 142

Virgil's POV:

...What the actual fuck?

I opened my eyes to be greeted by what can only be described as a purple abyss, endless and fathomless. I blinked listlessly in the dim light. It had been a long, long time since I'd seen my own pocket dimension's factory settings.

Was this where Djinns went when they died? To their own personal purgatory? Or was this some kind of reincarnation thing? Damnit. This would make it a lot harder to be an atheist.

"Long time no see, Gillie," called a snotty little high pitched voice through the neon doldrums. I froze in surprise before bringing my hands to my face and groaning. I would much rather have an existential crisis than deal with this. She was about the farthest thing from a God there was.

"Hello, Violet," I sighed, "looks like that last holocaust joke tipped the scale for me."

"Ugh, don't be so dramatic, Gillie. As much as it disappoints me, you're not in hell," Violet said with an audible eyeroll, "Actually, you're not even dead...yet," she added.

"Uh... yeah. I figured that. Why?" I asked flatly. Instead of an immediate answer, a couple eddies of light swirled around in a bright loop. They dropped down to the ground and spun upward to reveal, bit by bit, the absolute last person I wanted to see:

My color-stealing slut of a twin, Violet.

"Still rocking my aesthetic, I see," I snarked. She scowled, narrowing her ratty little eyes.

"It's in the NAME, dumbass. Besides, it looks better on me."

"Whatever. Now why-"

"Because I saved you. Like the good 'lil sis I am," she interrupted with a smirk. I couldn't have rolled my eyes far enough back in my fabulous head at that statement.

"That would be a first," I scoffed, "We both know that the only reason a little brat like you would do something nice is if you had something even worse in store. So spill it, Lettie," I growled. Her smirk turned into a glare.

"I didn't save you because I wanted to, VIRGIL," she said snidely as she crossed her arms, "I did it because I had to."

A forboding chill went down my spine at her words. Who of the Djinn would want me alive? And why? I was through with all of that. I had moved on. Before I could ask, her next words made me freeze. She gave me a sick little grin.

"Father is coming for you, Gillie."

And she was gone, leaving me alone once again.


End file.
